Another Branch in the Stream of Time
by hrtiu
Summary: Link had resigned himself to the fact that no one remembered his adventures and struggles as the Hero of Time. He had found a decent living and made good friends, and he was moving on with his life. However, when a fateful coincidence throws Link and Zelda back together again for one last adventure, Link's hope grows in him once more. Maybe, just maybe, he can get her to remember.
1. Chapter 1

Another Branch in the Stream of Time

Chapter 1

 **AUTHOR's NOTE: I hope you enjoy my take on what might have happened to OoT Link after Majora's Mask. I understand that my interpretation of what happened to Ganondorf after Link went back to his ten-year-old life might be a little different, but hopefully it is interesting. This is my first LoZ story, so please let me know how I'm doing. I take reviews seriously and am open to re-editing!**

Link felt an uncomfortable twisting in his gut as he led Epona through the dense woods that separated Hyrule from Termina. He had thought long and hard before returning to the place of his birth and he wasn't about to start doubting his decision now, but it was still an intimidating prospect. He was now 17, the same age he'd been when he'd defeated Ganondorf. Although Hyrule should seem familiar—he'd lived in the same time and place before, after all—Link knew that without an evil overlord oppressing the people, any number of things could be different. Would the people he had known be the same? Probably not. The world he had belonged to was gone forever. That was why he had left in the first place.

Link finally managed to reach the Lost Woods, and smiled at the thought that he was perhaps the first person ever to feel less lost upon arriving in the Lost Woods. The Lost Woods was a good place to start becoming reacquainted with his homeland. Even when Ganondorf had been in power, the forest hadn't changed much. These woods had always been unfriendly to outsiders, and even the passage of time was an unwelcome visitor.

Soon Link came across the distinctive brown boulder that marked the entrance to the Sacred Forest Meadow. On a whim, he tied Epona loosely to a nearby tree and passed through the dark entrance. He wandered through the twisted passages leading to the temple entrance almost in a daze, no stray thoughts passing through his mind. Eventually, he reached his only semi-consciously determined destination: a large pentagonal stone slab underneath an ancient, bent-over tree.

Link placed a hand absentmindedly on the trunk of the tree, lost in memories of a past that had been wiped from existence.

Seven years ago, or rather right around now, down a different branch of the river of Time, Sheik had met him here outside of the Forest Temple. Sheik—or rather, Zelda—had taught him the Minuet of the Forest and talked to him about childhood memories. Even at that early meeting, Link had felt a strong connection to Sheik. She was the first person he saw after he awoke seven years older, and she seemed to be the only person who knew what had happened to him and why.

Link missed Zelda. Throughout his quest to defeat Ganondorf, he had grown to care for her, as both Sheik and Zelda. But that was not why he was coming back to Hyrule. The Zelda that Link had cared for did not exist. The Zelda from this time had had different life experiences, different friends, and different circumstances from the Zelda he had known, and there was no way to get the old Zelda back. Link had learned to accept this. He also knew that whether or not Zelda had changed was irrelevant, because a commoner like him would have no chance of spending time with royalty like her. Maybe as the Hero of Time, he would have been granted an exception, but nobody in this time knew what he had done. Link had found that out the hard way.

* * *

As soon as Link arrived back in the Temple of Time with his ten-year-old body, he went straight to see Zelda. He shimmied through the same water sluice, snuck past the same guards, and found Zelda waiting in the same palace courtyard. As soon as he saw her, Link's normally stoic face broke into a smile. Her eyebrows raised in surprise as he ran towards her, telling her breathlessly, "Princess Zelda, Ganondorf!" He stopped and huffed for a moment, hands on his knees, "We have to stop him, but don't try to open the Sacred Realm!"

Zelda's eyebrows raised even higher, and she said, "I'm sorry, who are you? How did you get in here? …I've never heard of anyone named Ganondorf…" She trailed off in confusion.

Her reaction caught Link off guard. The first time he'd come to the castle, he had had no reason to believe Zelda would know who he was or why he was there, and yet she had still known him. This time was apparently different.

"Ganondorf? He's the leader of the Gerudo. He… We… You don't know who I am?" Link finished weakly.

Zelda shook her head, "I'm sorry, I don't know what you're talking about. There are no men amongst the Gerudo, and I've never seen you before. Are you, perhaps, from the Kokiri? You must have travelled a long way."

Link was about to protest more, although it seemed clear Zelda was not going to recognize him, when he saw a long shadow pass in front of him. He turned and saw Impa standing behind him, her tall form significantly more imposing as a short ten-year-old.

"It's impressive that you made it this far, kid, but you really should be leaving. The princess has a soft heart, but the king is much less forgiving of trespassers on the palace grounds."

Link just gaped at the older woman, shocked to find more evidence that circumstances in this version of the past were different than those of his previous pasts.

Impa seemed to be waiting for him to reply, but quickly grew impatient with his silence.

"Come on, there will be trouble if the guards catch you. I'll lead you out of the palace."

Link could do nothing but dumbly follow her, looking backwards for one last glance at Zelda.

Impa deposited Link right outside the gate to Castle Town, and Link could do nothing but sit there for a long minute. He felt like his life had been swept out from underneath him.

* * *

After several months of traveling around Hyrule looking up people he'd met during his travels, Link determined that, as far as he could tell, nothing had changed in Hyrule except the major fact that Ganondorf appeared to have never existed. Apparently when they had sealed Ganondorf in the Sacred Realm, he had somehow also been sealed there retroactively in the past that Zelda sent Link to. People Link had met before he went to the castle to talk to Zelda still remembered him, but without Ganondorf, Zelda had had no visions of their struggle against him, and therefore had no reason to know that Link even existed.

Soon afterwards, Link decided to leave Hyrule.

* * *

Several weeks after Link's detour to the Sacred Forest Meadow, he arrived in Castle Town. He had some vague idea of becoming a ranch hand at Lon Lon Ranch or perhaps a delivery boy of some kind. If he couldn't find a job he liked, he also thought he could just wander throughout Hyrule, selling things he'd found and living off the land.

Link was surprised by how many people in Castle Town seemed to remember him. He hadn't been around for very long before he'd left for Termina, but he supposed it made sense people would remember a young kid with a sword and shield dressed entirely in green. He also noticed that some of the girls he'd seen in the main courtyard were older and more mature, and they seemed to notice him too. He wasn't quite sure what he made of that.

Eventually, Link settled in a small rented room in Kakariko Village. He mostly wandered around Hyrule, collecting odds and ends he knew people would want, and then selling them. He charged fair (some would say too low) prices and soon gained a reputation as the person to go to when you needed a problem solved. It was a simple life, but Link enjoyed it.

One day, Link was approached by Miro, the brother of one of the carpenters perpetually building in Kakariko. Link knew that Miro lived in Castle Town, but he didn't know exactly what he did. Truth be told, he didn't know Miro very well, but he welcomed any visitors.

"Link, I have a job you might be interested in. There's this girl—errr, young lady—a relative of my boss. She's a scholar, and she's studying something about Hyrule's history…. Or maybe it was geography? Anyway, I'm not actually that clear on what she's studying, but she wants to travel around Hyrule and is looking for a guide. My brother Jiro said you might be up for it."

Link thought about it, asking some more details about pay, how long the job would last, and where the young lady was intending to go. He hadn't really done this kind of long-term gig before, but he was open to mixing up his routine a little.

"Sure, I'll do it. Where and when should I meet her?"

Little did he know the havoc in his life this decision would wreak.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

 **AUTHOR'S NOTE: So, a relatively short chapter, but hopefully it will give you a better idea of where the story is going. Also, I just gave Zelda the pseudonym Tetra, not because she'll be anything like the character Tetra, but because she needed a pseudonym and reusing names and situations from other games seems like a pretty canon thing to do. Once again, if you have any thoughts or suggestions, reviews are welcome.**

Link waited for Miro and his mystery client at the appointed spot in the small courtyard in front of the Temple of Time. He sat down on the stone bench, leaning back onto his arms and gazing at the temple's tall spires. Enough time had passed that he no longer felt overwhelmed by his memories looking at the temple. It felt good to be able to just relax.

"Link! There you are," Miro shouted at him from the sole entrance to the courtyard. Link wasn't sure why he was shouting when the courtyard was neither large nor loud, but he let it pass. He turned towards Miro and the woman following shortly behind him caught his eye.

It was Princess Zelda.

"This is my lady Tetra," said Miro, cutting through Link's shock. Link shut his gaping mouth, and his gaze shot to Miro, then back to the girl again. Tetra.

Link composed himself and made a short bow towards the woman. "Lady Tetra, my name is Link. Pleased to meet you."

The pleasure is mine," the woman said warmly. Link allowed himself another long look at her before turning to gather his things. It was definitely Zelda. She was dressed in a plain dark blue dress with a brown bodice and cream colored sleeves. Link supposed her costume was a decent approximation of what a poorer member of the upper class might wear. She wore no jewelry, and her famously golden hair was several shades darker and pulled into a severe bun, but it was definitely Zelda. Looking at her, Link could see how the other residents of Castle Town wouldn't recognize her. She had taken pains to alter her appearance, and it wasn't as if they saw her often. But Link knew her in an instant. He'd recognize those eyes anywhere, and he wasn't about to let himself be duped by one of her costumes again.

Link decided to let her keep her mystery identity. He wouldn't be able to explain why he recognized her anyway.

After grabbing his knapsack, Link turned back to the pair, determinedly keeping any emotions churned up by Zelda's sudden reappearance off of his face and out of his mind.

"Milady, Miro tells me you are studying Hyrule's history and geography, but he did not tell me what in particular you are studying or where we are to go."

"Please, call me Tetra," Zelda said with a smile. Link could do that. As long as he didn't have to call her Zelda.

"I am studying the history of Hyrule generally, but right now I am focused particularly on Death Mountain. I've studied all about it in my books, but I think I've learned all I can in a library. I need to see the place myself."

Link blanched.

"Death Mountain? But… Tetra, Death Mountain is quite dangerous. Are you certain you wish you go there?"

Zelda looked like she'd had this conversation before.

"I am determined to go," she said shortly.

Link thought about it for a moment. If he thought she'd be harmed, he wouldn't take her, regardless of her determination. But with his knowledge of the mountain, he felt confident he could keep her safe. Besides, Zelda was the bearer of the Triforce of Wisdom. She must have a good reason for going there.

He nodded. "Ok, I will guide you and Miro. But I have some requirements. Death Mountain can be deadly. If I am going to be your guide, while we are on the mountain, both of you must do as I say."

Miro and Zelda looked at each other and nodded.

"Of course I will do whatever will keep the lady safe," said Miro.

"I will defer to your expertise," said Zelda.

After working out some of the logistics of their trip, the trio decided to head out for Kakariko Village the next morning. The trip would take the whole day, and Link wanted to get an early start so they would have some time to rest in Kakariko before heading on to Death Mountain. He was used to such journeys, but he wasn't sure how Miro or Zelda's stamina would hold up.

That night, after a whirlwind of planning and preparation, Link sank into his bed at the inn and finally allowed himself to process all of the thoughts and feelings that seeing Zelda again had brought up. She was here. He was going to be spending the next several days with her at least. He considered briefly the possibility of trying to tell her who he was, of trying to convince her of their shared past. This seemed unwise, though. It would likely alarm and confuse her, and probably cut their time together short.

He also _very_ briefly considered wooing her, but one glance around his shabby hotel room reminded him of that impossibility. So instead, he settled on accepting this truly remarkable opportunity for the small gift that it was: a chance to get to know Zelda—a chance to get to know this new Zelda and to commemorate the old one by cataloguing all of their smallest differences. So it was decided. He would be a simple guide, not talk to Zelda overmuch, and accept the sweet opportunity to see how someone he had once cared for had turned out from a distance. His course of action decided, Link was finally able to sleep.

As he was drifting off to sleep, words Sheik had told him outside of the Water Temple ran through his mind.

 _Time passes, people move… Like a river's flow, it never ends… A childish mind will turn to noble ambition… Young love will become deep affection…_

The final thought he remembered, however, was something else Sheik had said, outside of the Sacred Forest Meadow.

 _The flow of time is always cruel._


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

 **AUTHOR'S NOTE: Here's a longer chapter for you! Now you'll get an idea of Zelda's purpose in going to Death Mountain. As usual, I hope you enjoy, and please feel free to give me feedback. This story will be longer than the ones I've written before, so I'd really appreciate any suggestions/guidance/comments.**

The next morning, Zelda awoke refreshed and eager to conquer the journey ahead of her. She had rarely left the castle walls, much less the area surrounding Castle Town, and she found herself possessed by the spirit of adventure.

She checked it, of course. Zelda was not one to allow herself to behave irrationally because of heightened emotions. She did, after all, have a practical purpose for her quest. The Great Fairies.

Zelda had not lied to the guide Link. She was a scholar, and she particularly loved studying the history of Hyrule. But she knew she would one day rule Hyrule, and she was always looking for practical applications of her studies. Her search for the Great Fairies was exactly that. She wished to recover some of Hyrule's lost magic. Hyrule had enemies both magical and nonmagical, and Zelda intended to be prepared to face them all.

Zelda knew some magic. She knew the songs that would grant her access to hidden places, she could disguise herself to some degree, and Impa had taught her some of those Sheikah techniques that lay somewhere between magic and martial arts. Her father had not been happy about that, so Impa had not taught Zelda all of her secrets, but Zelda still knew a fair amount. Enough to be dangerous, both to herself and others—as Impa often reminded her.

Zelda had already found one of the Great Fairies, whose lair had actually been right within the Castle grounds. The entrance had been behind a bolder in a small alcove right behind the outer Castle gate—Zelda had grown up practically on top of a Great Fairy and hadn't even known it. Something about that felt right to Zelda. She felt as though there was some great untapped potential within her—a purpose for which she had been prepared but never called upon to fulfill. It made her feel restless.

The Great Fairy had been… different. Zelda wasn't sure what she'd expected, but she certainly hadn't expected a barely clothed three-pony-tailed vixen in thigh high boots. To be honest, Zelda had blushed a little at the sight of the statuesque beauty barely covered by a smattering of vines. Despite her _unconventional_ attire, the Great Fairy had undoubtedly been powerful. She had given Zelda a spell—a magical ability called Din's Fire—that would surround Zelda in an orb of flames that expanded outwards from her, engulfing her enemies in a sea of flames. Not that Zelda had ever met with any enemies.

Zelda finished packing her small bag—Link had instructed them to pack light—and glanced one more time around her royal chambers before heading out. She had already informed her servants that she would be gone for a week or so, and she had said goodbye to her father the night before, so there was nothing else to do but leave. That was always the hardest part.

She took a deep breath, reminded herself that nobody ever became great by living a static life, and left.

* * *

Zelda and Miro left the castle together and met up with their guide in front of the Castle Town gate.

Once again, the first thing Zelda noticed about the guide was his bright green tunic. It was odd—the tunic seemed familiar to Zelda, but she couldn't quite place where she'd seen it before, and she thought she'd remember such a distinctive look.

The second and third things she noticed about him were his biceps, but Zelda reasoned that that was just because they were flexed from saddling his horse. Nothing to worry about.

And speaking of horses, what a beauty that horse was! Miro was leading Zelda's own horse, so she walked right up to Link's horse and gave her a gentle pat on the neck.

"Your horse is so beautiful," she said, as she took in the boisterous red mare. She was impressed that Link could handle the young horse—it was clear that this horse could make life very difficult for an unwelcome rider.

"Thank you," said Link, tightening the cinch on the rustic saddle. "She's from Lon Lon Ranch, right in Hyrule Field. Her name is Epona."

"What a pretty name," said Zelda affably. "And a true Hyrulean horse to boot! Of course, horses aren't actually native to Hyrule. The royal family used to have to buy them from Gerudo traders. Hyruleans only started to raise and breed their own horses around 500 years ago."

"Is that so?" Link looked at her with an amused expression. "I guess you really are a scholar."

Zelda blushed a little, although she couldn't quite figure out why. She _was_ a scholar. There was nothing embarrassing about that. She walked back to her own horse and mounted gracefully in one fluid motion, trying to convince herself that she didn't need to prove anything to him, and asked, "Are we ready to go then?"

Miro nodded at Link, and he said, "Looks like it. Let's get going then."

The ride to Kakariko was pleasant. Link had been cognizant of the fact that Miro and Zelda had likely rarely ridden long distances in a single day before, so they took breaks often. The first few hours passed in near silence. Miro and Link seemed content to focus on riding, and Zelda was caught up in enjoying the sights and sounds of Hyrule Field. She had been out to the field before, but never for more than an hour or two. The wide open spaces gave her a sense of freedom and perspective that was difficult to describe. Beauty combined with monotony seemed to invite solemn contemplation.

Eventually, though, Zelda decided it might be good to break the silence and get to know their young guide a little better. She was just trying to figure out what to say to break the ice when he preempted her.

"So, Lady Tetra, what exactly are you interested in seeing at Death Mountain?" Link turned in his saddle a little towards Zelda, and Zelda found herself enjoying the calm, controlled tenor of his voice. Link impressed her as the kind of person you could rely on to remain calm in a stressful situation.

As far as answering his question went, Zelda had decided to keep her search for the Great Fairies more or less under warps, although she was uncertain whether or not this strategy should extend to their guide. He might, after all, have information that could help lead them to the Great Fairies' locations. However, Link was still an unknown quantity. She had decided not to widely share her search for the Great Fairies because their magic was powerful and sacred—exactly the kind of thing that could be dangerous in the wrong hands. Zelda simply did not know enough about the young stranger to tell him the details of her quest.

"I'm interested in some folk tales surrounding the history of the mountain. The Goron folk tales are particularly intriguing. I'd like to study the intersection of Goron creation myths and Hylian lore surrounding the goddess Din."

That was more or less true. There were myths about the goddess Din that perfectly mirrored Goron creation folklore. Some theologians also theorized that the local goddess the Gorons worshipped was actually a Great Fairy. In fact, it was probably something Zelda should legitimately look more into.

"Interesting," replied Link. He did not look very interested. "And where in particular do you think you'll be most of the time? Goron City? The Dodongo Caverns? The actual summit itself?"

Zelda shrugged. "It depends on where my research takes me. It does seem that the summit will likely be where I spend most of my time though."

Most of Zelda's research pointed to the Great Fairy's lair being at the summit of the mountain, although some sources said the Great Fairy could be found actually _inside_ of Death Mountain Crater. That hardly seemed likely, and Zelda had dismissed that as a mistranslation of ancient texts.

Zelda was distracted from her thoughts when she noticed an odd look cross Link's face, like he was trying to piece together a particularly vexing puzzle.

"What is it?" she asked.

He looked away, his gaze drawn to the distant cone-shaped summit of Death Mountain.

"Nothing. I'm just a little concerned because the summit is the most dangerous part of Death Mountain. If I had a better idea of what exactly you are looking for, maybe we could avoid going there. I know the area quite well."

"How exactly do you know the area, anyway? I'm just curious—when Miro told me he had found a very experienced guide, I had honestly been expecting someone several decades older than you appear to be. You must have a very fascinating history."

Zelda was deflecting, yes, but she was also genuinely curious. From Miro's description, she'd been expecting a grizzled old mountain man to be leading them, not this strangely solemn blond teenager. He looked to be no older than herself… Perhaps around 18?

Link didn't turn back to face Zelda when he answered.

"I didn't really have a home growing up, so I wandered. You learn a lot when you have to survive on your own."

"I'm sorry, that must have been difficult," Zelda said, adopting the sympathetic tone she had learned to cultivate when speaking with people whose lives had been much more difficult than her own.

Link shrugged. "It can be lonely, I suppose. But you get used to it. And you get to know people everywhere you go."

"That's true. And you've seen so much of the world! You've experienced so many things I've only read about in books."

Link grimaced again.

"Some things are better not to experience."

Zelda decided to leave the young man alone after that. He clearly didn't want to tell a woman as obviously privileged as herself about his difficult childhood. Her questions were sincere, though. She recognized that there was much wisdom she simply could not attain without experiencing the kinds of difficulties her subjects regularly faced. There was so much she wanted to ask him—he'd led a life so very different from her own—but it didn't seem like he wanted to talk about it. She knew not to push.

* * *

Several hours later, the group arrived at Kakariko Village. Link took them to the best inn in the village and helped them get settled before heading off to his own apartment to gather some equipment they might need. As he wound through the comforting grey-green drabness of the village, he allowed himself to relax for the first time since the start of their journey. He felt so tense around Zelda—so unsure of how to behave and how to treat her. He felt that he was being too cold towards her, but he knew he didn't want to reveal their shared past, and he also didn't want to develop feelings for her, so this stone-faced persona seemed the only available option.

Still, he should try to be more open and normal. What if she cut their journey short because he was being too difficult? There must be a middle ground he could find.

Link finally arrived in his apartment and headed straight for his equipment room. He'd had a trap door set into the floor of his apartment that led to the room that held all of his hard-won treasures, keeping them safe from the larcenous and the overly-curious. On the walls of the small room all of his treasures from Termina and Hyrule had been carefully hung and maintained with painstaking care. Some things that he felt he didn't need any more he'd put back in their respective hiding places. Others, especially his beloved longshot, had simply been too useful to give up.

Link was just about to put said longshot into his knapsack when he heard a knock at the door. He rushed up the ladder as quickly as possible, wondering who could possibly be visiting him.

"Link? Are you there?" came Zelda's voice from the other side of the door.

Link froze up a little, paralyzed by the thought of being alone with Zelda for the first time in more than seven years. Then he opened the door.

"Sorry it took me so long, I was downstairs. Do you need anything?"

"Oh, I'm sorry to bother you. Miro and I were just wondering if you wanted to join us for dinner at the inn. The innkeeper told me where you live…" Zelda trailed off awkwardly. It suddenly occurred to Link that she probably wasn't sure how to behave around commoners. Based on the look on her face, she may have only just realized that it might raise some eyebrows to visit a man's house alone at night, especially as the princess. Not that anyone was supposed to know that she was the princess.

Zelda seemed to decide that it would only make the situation more uncomfortable to acknowledge the awkwardness, so she bowled right on ahead.

"Downstairs? Doesn't this building only have one floor?" she asked, face alight with curiosity. She looked over Link's shoulder into his Spartan room, and Link realized he'd left his trap door open.

"Um, I have a basement where I keep my equipment," he said, moving aside so Zelda could fully see the trap door she'd caught a glimpse of. He didn't want her to think he was hiding anything, and he figured Zelda probably wouldn't try to rob him. "I was just finishing packing up for the trip tomorrow. I can join you for dinner, but I'd like to finish packing first. Can you wait a moment?"

"Certainly," said Zelda, and Link motioned for her to follow him inside.

Zelda waited upstairs while Link finished putting the last of his items in his knapsack, then he joined her back in the main room.

"Can I see what you're bringing with you? It looks like you hardly packed anything at all," she said, pointing at the small knapsack Link had placed in the corner.

"Oh, yes, well this bag is actually magical," Link said matter-of-factly.

"Really?" Zelda's eyes went wide, and Link realized he'd said it in a way that might sound sarcastic. "I mean, you're being serious, right?"

"Really," he replied, demonstrating by reaching into the knapsack and pulling out the mirror shield, which was clearly much larger than the knapsack itself. Zelda looked even more shocked, and Link smiled as he tossed her the bag.

"It's so light…" she said, looking the bag over in wonder and weighing it in both hands. "How does it work?"

"I'm not sure… I believe it's fairy magic. It comes from the Kokiri Forest, and all Kokiri children have fairies. Each Kokiri child has one of these bags. You see, Kokiri remain children for their entire lives, so these bags help them carry around their heavier possessions even with their small bodies."

"That's fascinating. And how did you manage to get a Kokiri bag?"

"Oh, well… I was actually raised in the Kokiri Forest." Link saw no reason to lie.

"Really? But… you're clearly not a Kokiri child."

Link smiled wryly. "No, no I'm not." After a long pause it became clear that Zelda expected more of an explanation, so Link continued, "My parents were killed in the war. My mother managed to make it to the Kokiri Forest before she died, and she asked the Great Deku Tree to take care of me."

"Oh I understand, the Great Deku Tree is the guardian of the Kokiri Forest, yes?"

Link nodded. Of course Zelda would know about the Great Deku Tree.

"Yes. And the Great Deku Tree didn't tell me that I wasn't a Kokiri child until I was ten. That was quite a shock."

"Well _that_ must be the understatement of the century."

Their conversation lulled for a moment, and Link was struck by how odd it felt to be having a normal conversation with Zelda. Before, they'd only ever spoken about their quest to defeat Ganondorf. They'd discussed prophecies, temples, the Triforce, but never their everyday lives. Looking back, Link wasn't even sure if Zelda had even known that he was from the Kokiri Forest. It felt good, to be talking like this. It felt good to realize that he still liked her, as a person, even when they hadn't been pushed by fate into a desperate alliance to save Hyrule. Zelda took the break in their conversation as an opportunity to look through his bag, and was tugging fiercely at the handle of the megaton hammer.

"What _is_ this thing? Why is it so heavy? And why on _earth_ would you need to bring it to Death Mountain?"

"That's the megaton hammer. May I?"

She let go of the handle, and Link grabbed it, pulling the giant hammer free of the bag with one great effort.

"It's pretty heavy when you're holding it, but the bag makes it light to carry around. It's especially useful on Death Mountain for clearing out rocks that might be blocking the path. I don't like to waste bombs when I don't have to."

"Oh… The path up to the summit must be rougher than I thought," said Zelda, looking a little trepidatious.

Link shrugged.

"It's not a walk in the park, but it's not too bad. I think you can handle it."

"You have a lot of confidence in my toughness," Zelda said with a slow smile.

Link thought about Sheik, and the way she must have lived and trained during the seven years that he was asleep.

"Yes, I do," he said simply.

Link couldn't quite tell in the half-light of his apartment, but it seemed to him that Zelda's cheeks grew slightly rosier. He felt his own face warming a little as well, and hoped it didn't show. She set his knapsack on the floor and stood.

"Well, Miro is probably waiting for us. Are you ready to go now?"

"Lead the way," he said, and they headed off to the inn.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

 **AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hello! Another update for you lovely people. Things are just starting to get exciting. Please review and let me know what you like and what you don't like—if you want it to be more romantic or funny or to have more action, etc. I'm open to suggestions. Late Happy Valentine's Day and Late Happy Galentine's Day!**

The next morning the group awoke early to get a head start on the hike. Miro and Zelda were eager to reach the top, but Link had held a hand out to stop them when they were still within sight of Kakariko's gate.

"Wait here a second," he said, then drew his sword and went ahead of them without another word.

"What do you think he…" Miro asked Zelda, but before he could finish his sentence, he gasped as he saw a large red crab-like creature jump out of seemingly nowhere and attack Link. Miro pulled Zelda back towards the gate, but she resisted. Link was quite a ways away from them by now, and she wanted to see the altercation. Link blocked the carb's first attack easily with his Hylian shield, then in a flash he slashed his sword upwards and through the underside of the creature, slicing it neatly in half. Link barely even paused to wipe the creature's blueish ichor from his sword before moving farther down the path, only to be pounced on by more crab creatures. He repeated this extermination process five more times before turning back towards Miro and Zelda.

"Thank you," he said, his breathing a little more labored than before. He seemed to be thanking them for staying out of his way.

"Are you certain there aren't more?" Zelda asked, immediately wishing she had thanked him instead, or maybe complimented him on his swordsmanship. Zelda was actually a little flustered, which wasn't common for her. It was just that he was young, and he was strong, and his clothes were stained with the blueish ichor from the monsters, and somehow these details combined to make him endlessly fascinating.

This was ridiculous. Zelda was a practical person, and she barely knew this guy. All she knew about him was that he could slay monsters and had a secret basement full of weapons. These details hardly pointed towards an upstanding citizen. Link had just responded to her question, but she entirely missed his answer.

"I'm sorry, what?" she asked.

Link looked confused, and so Miro answered for him.

"He said he's pretty sure there are no more. We could always get surprised, though, so stay close."

The rest of the day went similarly: they made slow but steady progress, and Link consistently demonstrated his knowledge and value to the small band. Zelda was particularly impressed that Link had brought extra shields for herself and Miro when they passed through an area frequented by falling lava rocks. Link had instructed them how to anticipate the rocks and how to properly duck underneath their shields. Zelda had to admit that using a shield to defend herself was thrilling. Sometimes it was difficult to feel that there was anything at stake with her work in the palace. This was different. What she and her companions did might affect their immediate survival. Zelda had never felt more alive.

The trek up to the mountain peak was an arduous one. Zelda, while fairly fit for a woman of her station, had never spent a whole day hiking before, and Death Mountain was a strenuous trail. As Link reached a hand down to help her climb up a particularly steep section of the trail, Zelda thought for the umpteenth time that day how grateful she was that she and Miro had hired him.

She only wished that his abilities had been coupled with unfortunate looks and poor hygiene. Zelda knew herself well, and she understood that she was attracted to people who were capable and talented. She told herself that Link's knowledge and unusual capabilities were the only reason she was interested in him. Regardless of the reason for her interest, any sort of relationship with him was out of the question. She really needed to get all of these kinds of thoughts out of her head and focus on her mission.

Determined to put the man in green out of her mind, Zelda spoke only with Miro for the next couple of hours. They discussed the gorons, and Miro's family back in Castle Town. Miro was married, and he had a girl and two boys. His daughter was, by his own admission, very spoiled.

Eventually, however, Zelda and Miro ran out of things to talk about. They'd already been hiking for more than ten hours, and no one in the group had the energy to talk anymore. They walked in silence, and time seemed to stretch beyond having any practical meaning as the sky darkened and it became impossible to measure their progress. Finally, just as Zelda felt she would scream in frustration if she had the energy, the path flattened out and they found themselves on a small flat plateau near the summit of the mountain.

Link headed right over to the southwestern edge of the plateau and threw his pack on the ground.

"This is about as close as you can get to the summit. We'll stay here tonight, then we can do whatever research you need to do tomorrow."

"That sounds good," replied Zelda, walking over to the determined spot and placing her own pack somewhat more delicately on the ground. She knelt down gingerly, her legs anticipating the intense soreness of the following day, and pulled out a rough blanket to lay on the ground. Miro sat down beside her and retrieved the food for their dinner from his own pack. He started a fire and got some water boiling for a simple soup, and Link and Zelda simply stared into the fire.

* * *

Link felt relaxed. He was enjoying sitting down the way one only does after having spent all day walking, and he was tired enough to not really be thinking about anything. It was definitely a relief not to think about Zelda. He had really enjoyed spending the day with her and getting to know her, and he didn't want to think about their coming separation. He just wanted to enjoy the time the Goddesses had given him.

He glanced at Miro, and figured it would probably take some time for the soup to be finished. He reached into his bag, pulled out his ocarina, and started to play. Zelda, clearly too tired for conversation, nonetheless closed her eyes and started to nod back and forth to the music. Link felt a deep sense of contentment within himself. This too would be a memory he would treasure for a long time.

Miro finished the soup and the three companions ate together. They had rested long enough that conversation started to flow between Miro and Zelda again. Link enjoyed watching their interactions—it was clear that Zelda cared about her guard and that Miro respected Zelda. He was enjoying playing the silent bystander so much that he was caught totally off guard when Zelda addressed him.

"Where did you learn to play the ocarina, Link?"

"Oh, uh… My childhood friend. She gave it to me," he said, as he held up the fairy ocarina he'd been playing earlier.

"It's really quite lovely. You know, it's a folk instrument but even the most highborn in Hyrule learn to play," Zelda said, smiling.

Link felt his heart squeeze at her smile, and looked away.

"I, uh, was never formally trained," he said, looking into the fire.

"Well, I think that's the best way with folk instruments. It's much better to learn something like the ocarina around a campfire with friends than in a stuffy music room."

"Hmm," Link grunted.

Undeterred by his less than enthusiastic responses, Zelda continued, "They say the ocarina in particular has magical qualities. There are legends and folk tales of magical powers, of time shifting, of memories gained and lost."

At that, Link looked up sharply, right into Zelda's eyes. She didn't seem to be hinting at anything, but her simple statement filled him with such hope. He felt his heart constrict once more.

"I'm going to sleep," he said gruffly, then walked over to his bed roll.

In the safety of his blanket, Link decided that he was not going to see Zelda again. Obviously, he'd finish this project of hers, but once they got back from Death Mountain he'd leave her in Castle Town and never look back. He'd been foolish to think he could be content to sit back as an observer and see what kind of person she was. He was only growing more and more attached to her, and that wasn't good for either of them.

While not exactly pleased at the prospect of never seeing Zelda again, Link felt some degree of comfort from having made up his mind. He rolled over in his blanket, and forced himself to fall asleep.

* * *

The next morning Zelda practically leapt out of her bed roll, then immediately fell to the ground in pain.

"Ouch, my legs are so sore!" She could barely move.

Miro, who had awoken earlier and was already preparing breakfast, had the audacity to laugh.

"I'd expect you have never walked so much before, Lady Tetra," he said, and he was in such a jovial mood Zelda decided to forgive him for mocking her.

An hour or two later, the group finally finished getting ready for the day and Zelda commenced her search for the Great Fairy. After briefly perusing the plateau on which they had camped, she decided to start their search with the large cavernous tunnel into the crater of the mountain. It seemed the most obvious place to look. Link followed her and Miro, but she didn't tell him what she was looking for and he didn't ask. He mostly hovered around, making sure Miro and Zelda didn't walk off any cliffs.

Link had also informed Zelda and Miro that the crater would be too hot to remain in for long. He'd given her a red tunic from his pack to wear in the crater so she could stay in longer, but Miro and Link still had to leave the crater periodically to cool down. Zelda had blushed a little when Link gave her the tunic, but she just pulled it on over the top of her dress. It was, after all, much bigger than her own clothing.

Despite his continued helpfulness, Link had been pretty distant all morning. Outside of warning them about the heat and offering her his tunic, he'd barely spoken two words to either Miro or Zelda. He'd always been on the quiet side, but this morning he was practically mute. Zelda couldn't help but feel displeased at the development.

Zelda was examining a group of rocks arranged in a strangely circular pattern when she felt the mountain groan beneath her feet. She started for a moment, then looked back at Link and Miro, each at different ends of the cavern, and saw that they were both OK. This _was_ an active volcano… She figured grumbling like this was probably normal.

Zelda had just gone back to her pile of rocks when the mountain jolted again and she heard a loud crash behind her. She whipped around.

"Agh!"

It was Miro. His legs were trapped under a large volcanic rock which must have just fallen from the ceiling of the cavern, and his face was twisted in pain.

Zelda rushed over to his side, hands hovering uncertainly over his body, unsure of what to do.

"Miro? Can you hear me? How can I help?"

Miro didn't respond. Instead, his already cloudy eyes closed. He looked strangely relaxed, as if he were just dozing off on a warm afternoon. Zelda's first aid knowledge told her that was a bad sign.

"We need to get him out of here," Zelda heard a voice say urgently. Zelda looked up and saw Link briskly examining Miro's crushed legs.

"The heat plus his injuries is going to kill him fast unless we get him out. Can you hold him still?"

Zelda pressed down on Miro's shoulders and chest while Link got on his knees and shoved hard against the rock. With one massive heave, the rock rolled off of Miro, revealing two badly mangled legs.

Link wasted no time in picking Miro up, his hefty body slung over Link's shoulder, and carrying him out of the cavern. Zelda ran in front of him, grabbing the bottle of water from her pack and laying a blanket on the ground. Link placed Miro on the blanket while Zelda poured the water over Miro's red face and tried not to look at his legs, one of which had started bleeding profusely. Link had noticed this as well, and had grabbed another blanket and was tearing it into strips.

"Can you wrap his leg? I think I know a way to save him" Link said, tossing the strips to Zelda.

"Oh… OK. What are you going to do?" asked Zelda, as Link got up and started rummaging through his pack.

"Just trust me."

That answer wasn't terribly satisfying to Zelda, but she really needed to stop the bleeding on Miro's leg and she couldn't think of anything better to do to help her friend. Zelda was very focused on applying pressure to Miro's leg and wrapping it, so she was given quite a shock when she heard the explosion. She looked over her shoulder to see Link running back towards them, leaving a hole in the mountainside behind him.

"Bring my ocarina, please. It's in my bag," Link said urgently, scooping up Miro and hustling back to newly-created hole. Thoroughly mystified, but running on autopilot, Zelda did as he said and grabbed Link's knapsack. She rustled through it, her hand reaching farther into it than seemed possible from the outside, and the ocarina was luckily near the top of the bag. She grabbed it and followed after Link.

The tunnel that Link had taken Miro into was long and narrow and opened into a wider chamber. At the end of a chamber was a remarkably clear pool of water flanked by glowing torches, with clean white tiles lining the path up to the pool. Right in front of the chamber, Zelda recognized the sign of the Triforce on the floor in gold. It looked exactly like the Great Fairy chamber that Zelda had found by the castle.

Link had laid Miro on the tile in front of the pool, right over the sign of the Trifoce. Zelda, not really sure what to think and overwhelmed by the latest turn of events, silently handed Link the ocarina, and he started playing a song. Her song. How did he know that song? How did he know where the Great Fairy was?

The Great Fairy appeared in a fit of laughter out of the pool of water. This Great Fairy's appearance was just as blush-inducing as the first, but Zelda wasn't focused on that this time. Her eyes were fixed on her increasingly mysterious guide.

"Great Fairy," he said, before the Great Fairy had a chance to speak, "Please heal my friend. He is close to dying."

The Great Fairy looked at Link, looked at Miro, looked back at Link, and smiled.

"Do not fear, I will heal your friend," she said, and she made a strange gesture towards Miro, her arms outstretched as if welcoming him in for an embrace. Miro's face, which had been deathly pale, turned a healthy rosy color. His visible cuts healed, the unnatural angle of his legs straightened out, and Zelda was willing to bet she would find whole skin under his bandages. She still rushed forward to check and make sure. Sure enough, Miro's legs were completely unmarred, and his breathing had returned to a steady, strong rhythm.

The Great Fairy finished her healing, and then looked back at Link.

"It has been a long time, adventurer. It is good to see you again."

Link's eyebrows rose and his eyes widened. He seemed genuinely surprised by her words, but not nearly as surprised as Zelda when the Great Fairy addressed her.

"And it is good to see you two together again. You always worked so well together."

Both Zelda and Link's jaws dropped. Flustered, Zelda took a moment to respond.

"Ahh… I am sorry, I've never seen you before… I… And I only met this man a couple of days ago."

The Great Fairy's smile only grew. "I suppose that is true. Maybe one day you will know what I mean. You are also here for a piece of my power, am I right? I will grant you your wish."

The Great Fairy made that same gesture she had used when healing Miro, but this time she directed it towards Zelda. Zelda felt her heartbeat quicken, and her hair stand on end, and she almost felt as though her blood were rushing through her veins quicker than usual. Eventually the feeling passed, and the Great Fairy resumed her normal posture.

"My magic will grant your attacks with sword and steel additional power. Use it well. Return if you are again in need."

The Great Fairy was clearly about to end the conversation, but Zelda had so many questions.

"Wait, please, My Lady Great Fairy! How… how do you know us? Please, tell me more."

"You are not yet prepared. You need to remember for yourself before I can say more."

"But-!"

The Great Fairy was gone.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

 **AUTHOR'S NOTE: I hope you enjoy this latest chapter. I'm trying to update reasonably often, but I sometimes get caught up with work and other things (LIKE BREATH OF THE WILD! ONLY TWO MORE DAYS!). Reviews might help motivate me though! ;) Please let me know what you think of the story so far, especially the pacing. I haven't really written a longer story before and probably should have planned the structure out ahead of time better. I'd love some feedback on how it's reading to you. Thank you!**

The appearance of the Great Fairy upended all of Link's plans. He knew Zelda had questions for him, and he wasn't sure what answers he had to give her. Zelda was still kneeling on the ground next to Miro, her hand stretched out towards the empty space in the cavern that the Great Fairy had just occupied. Soon she would turn her attention to him, and Link didn't want to have to say anything just yet. He needed time to figure out what the Great Fairy's words meant. He decided to preempt Zelda, and spoke first.

"I'm sure there are things you would like to talk about, but let's get Miro out of here first. The Great Fairy healed him, but he still may not be well enough to travel."

Zelda looked back down at Miro in a daze, but the sight of his prone figure appeared to return her to the present. He looked much better, but he was still unconscious. She nodded her head, and helped Link carry Miro and Link's supplies back to their camp. Link set Miro down on his bedroll and checked his pulse and temperature.

"Miro's vitals are good. I think he will be fine after some rest."

Link rose, dusting off his hands on his trousers, and headed down the mountain.

"I'll be back shortly. I just need a moment," he said, already congratulating himself on his neat escape.

"No, you're not going anyway," Zelda said, her voice suddenly gaining the royal tone she rarely used for its potency. Link continued trying to edge away. "You are staying right here and answering my questions."

"Your highness, I really can't…"

"Your highness? Master Link, I am Lady Tetra, not some member of the royal family," Zelda's voice grew tense and hear eyes narrowed in suspicion, and Link froze in his spot. He had forgotten this side of Zelda. Her presence could be could intense to the point of intimidation, which was why he had made the mistake of called her "your highness." When she was acting like this, it was hard not to treat her like royalty.

Link turned back towards the camp and sat on a rock nearby his pack. He could face down a mob of life-sucking Redeads, but there was no way he could stand up to an angry Zelda.

"My Lady Tetra, I will answer your questions, I swear. Just please give me a moment to collect myself. I am just as confused as you are regarding recent events." Well, maybe not _just_ as confused, but certainly also somewhat confused. Zelda's incredulous look told Link she was probably thinking along the same lines.

"Fine. I will give you thirty minutes. Then I will require answers." With that, Zelda sat primly on another rock and folded her arms resolutely. She would clearly not be denied.

Not wanting her to think he was running off, but still wanting some measure of privacy, Link headed over to another relatively comfortable looking rock on the other side of the plateau. He sat down, and tried to work out his next steps in his head.

So… it looked like the Great Fairy knew about his alternate past. Link hadn't gone to see any of the Great Fairies since he'd defeated Ganondorf. He probably wasn't supposed to feel this way about divine beings, but they honestly creeped him out, and he could always go to a regular fairy fountain if he needed healing. It had never occurred to him that they might remember alternate pasts that others could not. Link had given up hope of finding someone who would remember him so long ago, he barely even felt anything at this revelation. He'd thought he would feel elated, overjoyed, like the weight of the world had been lifted from his shoulders—but instead he just felt numb. So the Great Fairy remembered him. So what?

So… maybe he could use the Great Fairies' corroboration to tell Zelda about their shared past! Should he try to convince her? It seemed as though Zelda's whole mission to Death Mountain was to find the Great Fairy. Perhaps he could take her to the other Great Fairies, and they would tell Zelda about Ganondorf, the Ocarina of Time, Sheik… all those things that meant so much to Link but nothing to anybody else.

Still, the Great Fairy hadn't been completely forthcoming with Zelda. There was no guarantee that the other Great Fairies also remembered Link and Zelda, or that they would be willing to talk about it.

At length, Link decided that he would no longer simply try to avoid Zelda. It seemed that the goddesses might be giving him an chance to renew their friendship, and he didn't want to throw that away. Instead, he should help her with whatever she was trying to do, and maybe in the process she would learn who Link was. Link even dared to imagine that she might some day be able to remember him. His course of action decided, Link steeled himself and headed back towards the uncharacteristically haughty princess.

He stopped directly in front of the princess, still seated on her rock as if it were a throne, and stood resolutely. He dipped his head slightly in her direction. "Thank you for giving me some time. I can answer whatever questions you have now."

"How did you know where the Great Fairy was? I have researched for months and only recently determined she must be somewhere on this mountaintop," Zelda demanded. It was only then that Link realized that, aside from being upset with his deception, Zelda's unhappiness with him might also stem at least in part from wounded pride.

"As I said earlier, I spent many years wandering Hyrule. And the… um… The Great Deku Tree told me where to look…" Link shuffled a little bit awkwardly. He never had been good at telling lies. Zelda's eyes narrowed.

"The Great Deku Tree? How did he know that? And why would he tell you?"

"Well, The Great Deku Tree is the spirit guardian of the Kokiri Forest. I believe he knows many of Hyrule's ancient magical beings, since he is one of them," said Link, thinking fast. "I'm actually not sure why he told me where the Great Fairies were… I think he was worried that I would have a hard time surviving away from the Kokiri, and he felt bad for telling me to leave the forest. I was still quite young."

Zelda didn't seem entirely convinced, but she probably couldn't think of any more plausible reason Link would know the locations of the Great Fairies.

"So the Great Deku Tree told you the locations of the other Great Fairies as well?"

"…Yes. If that is what you were looking for I can lead you to the other Great Fairies too," Link said, sounding perhaps a little overeager. Zelda's face brightened at the offer, and Link could tell she was tempted to accept, but she clearly needed to find out more information first. Link couldn't blame her. If he was her, he would think his guide was being terribly shifty. Link tried hard to look less shifty.

"We can discuss that later. First, I need to know why the Great Fairy said that we used to work together. What did she mean that it was good to see us again?"

This was the tricky part. Link suspected that the Great Fairy was somehow cognizant of Link and Zelda's alternate pasts, but he wasn't entirely sure what she had meant earlier either and didn't want to reveal what he knew to Zelda until he had more evidence. He didn't want her to dismiss him as some sort of madman.

"I really don't know what she meant. I've obviously met her before, but you were certainly not with me." Link shrugged, hoping he looked appropriately nonchalant. "Your guess is as good as mine."

"I don't believe you."

Link cringed. Well, she certainly was straightforward, wasn't she?

"I am sorry, I really wish I could be more helpful, but that's all I know. I mean, you must have noticed how surprised I was by what she said. I really did not expect her to recognize you or say anything like that," Link said earnestly, enjoying finally saying something that was pretty much true.

Zelda seemed to weigh his argument, and then responded, "I suppose that is true. And we can find out more if we find the other Great Fairies. I still think there are things you aren't telling me."

"I ah… I'm telling you all I can," Link said, hoping that was enough for her. Zelda crossed her arms, clearly not entirely satisfied, but willing to move on for now.

"What about the song? You played a special song to summon the Great Fairy. That song is sacred to the royal family. I doubt the Great Deku Tree taught you that as well."

Ah, this. Link thought it would be best if Zelda assumed the Great Deku Tree had taught him how to summon the Great Fairy—he figured the simpler his story the better—but he had backup plans.

"I met another wanderer—a Sheikah—who taught me the song. We traveled together for some time, and he grew to trust me. I told him I was looking for the Great Fairies, and he told me I'd need this song."

"A Sheikah? That's… surprising. What was his name?"

"Sheik," said Link, watching Zelda's face carefully for any kind of reaction. Her brow furrowed, but Link couldn't tell if it was in recognition or consternation. Probably consternation. After a pause, she spoke up again.

"Lastly, I need to know how long you have known that I am Princess Zelda."

Link really shouldn't have been surprised by this question. After all, he'd accidentally called her "your highness," and you'd have to be the bearer of the Trifoce of Stupid to miss something like that. Still, he'd spent most of his time thinking of how to deal with the Great Fairy, and had spared less capacity for digging himself out of this particular mess. He knew he was a poor liar, so he figured the closer he was to the truth the better.

"I knew you as soon as I saw you. I'm Hylian—of course I would recognize my own princess."

"Nobody else seems to notice me when I'm out in disguise. And why didn't you say anything?"

"Well, I have learned to notice details and pick up on changes in my environment better than most people. And I thought, since you had gone to the trouble of hiding your identity, it would be rude to not go a long with it."

Zelda's face morphed into a fully-formed frown at that.

"I really thought it was a good disguise. If I couldn't even fool you, who knows how many people have already noticed me like this."

Link chuckled a little at her pout. He couldn't really imagine the solemn Sheik behaving this way, but he liked her like this. He liked it when the parts of Zelda's personality that Ganondorf's reign hadn't extinguished in this timeline showed through.

"It really was a good disguise. Most people don't notice things like that as much as I do. Besides, I don't think most of your subjects have seen you before. I wouldn't worry too much."

"Still, it only takes one wrong person recognizing me…"

"Don't worry, princess. As your loyal subject, I swear I will ensure your safe return to the castle," Link said, feeling particularly gallant.

Zelda smiled with half of her mouth, clearly finding his manly declarations amusing but slightly touching at the same time.

"Thank you, good Sir Link," she said with a gentle tease, rising to her feet and offering him a slight curtsy. Link felt his cheeks heat a little.

"I will consider your offer to lead me to the other Great Fairies. Before we return to the castle I will have an answer for you," she said, heading towards Miro's bedroll. "For now, let's concentrate on getting Miro off of this mountain."

Link nodded his assent, and allowed the bubble of air that had built up in his stomach to dissipate. He'd survived. She may not have believed everything he said, but it looked like his plan could move forward for now.

* * *

Zelda was upset. She really shouldn't be—Miro was going to be OK and she'd found the Great Fairy, which had been her entire purpose in coming here in the first place. But she felt like everything was out of control. She felt like she was missing vital information, and she therefore could not appropriately plan out her best responses to situations. Zelda was a planner. She liked things to be orderly, and she liked to know as much as possible about her circumstances so she could carefully optimize outcomes. Right now, it felt like she was trying to plan a trip in the Haunted Wastelands. She resisted the urge to kick a rock down the dusty trail she and her companions were currently travelling down.

 _This will be good for me_ , she thought, trying to cajole herself out of her foul mood. _I haven't had to think on my feet before. I've lived an easy life in the palace, and never really been tested. This will help me grow._

She spent most of the trip down the mountain giving herself similar pep talks. After a long sleep, Miro had awoken miraculously healed, so the group decided to start their descent early that morning. While Link and Zelda still watched out for Miro vigilantly, he appeared completely capable of walking down the mountain with no assistance. This gave Zelda plenty of time to brood.

While Miro had slept, Zelda had tried once more to summon the Great Fairy and get an explanation from her, but she did not seem interested in talking to Zelda. Zelda had nearly screamed in frustration, tempted to flaunt her royal status at the maddening fairy to get her to talk. Still, she knew better than to provoke an ancient and powerful fairy, so she had instead meekly left the Great Fairy Fountain with no more answers.

And as for Link, well, he was not much better. He had answered her questions, and his answers had been reasonably believable, but Zelda knew there was more he wasn't telling her. She _knew_ it, but she couldn't figure out how to drag it out of him.

Zelda's bad mood continued up until lunch, when the three of them stopped under the shade of a rocky ledge to enjoy their rations. Zelda ate her mediocre lunch in sulky silence while Miro chatted away with Link.

"So the Great Fairy really healed me? That's amazing! What was she like? I wish I could have seen her."

"She's… well… Very natural," Link said awkwardly, and Zelda snorted. "She's a little difficult to describe, because she's pretty different from anyone else I've ever met, but she was kind and helpful and healed you up right away."

"Oh… Interesting. Well, maybe I'll get to see her if Lady Tetra finds the other Great Fairies. I wish I could have thanked her."

"Well, we thanked her for you, and once you woke up we thought we really should be getting back to Castletown…"

Miro waved his hand at Link in dismissal. "It's fine, I understand. My Lady Tetra's father would be very upset if we were late getting back."

 _That_ was an understatement. Zelda had been lucky her father had allowed this expedition at all. She would have to beg Miro not to tell the king of his injuries... Or perhaps she'd have to sneak out for any future research trips. But either of those options seemed wildly immature. She couldn't ask Miro to lie about his injuries—he had almost died, and it was ultimately Zelda's responsibility. Zelda sighed. She'd have to figure something out once she returned home

"What's wrong, Lady Tetra?" Miro had noticed Zelda's sigh.

"Nothing, really. You just reminded me that my father will probably never let me out again."

"Many of the Great Fairy fountains are in relatively dangerous locations, but I know of at least two more that would not be risky at all to visit. Perhaps your father could be persuaded if he knew where you were going and knew that it would be safe," said Link, ever the helpful sort.

"I guess I can try that. I doubt that I'll even be able to convince him to let me take one step outside of my rooms, at least for a while."

Link's face fell. Zelda was perplexed; why should he care if he was to be her guide again or not? There was clearly something in all of this for Link—some objective he wasn't sharing with her. It was driving her mad, and thinking of it again was not improving her mood.

By the time they reached Kakariko Village, Zelda had cooled off. She had spent much of her life learning to control her feelings, so she vigorously put that training to use. As Zelda and Miro headed towards the inn, Link pulled Zelda to the side.

"Are you feeling better? You seemed upset earlier."

"I am feeling just fine, thank you," Zelda replied, managing a respectably warm smile as well.

"Well, that's a relief. I just… I couldn't help but feel like you were mad at me. Did I do something?"

Zelda thought about denying it, but Link's question was so sincere, she couldn't quite bring herself to deceive him.

"Yes, I was upset with you. I can tell… I just know there's something you're not telling me—something important! And I know you are your own person and you have a right to your privacy, but I feel like it has something to do with me. And so yes, I was angry with you."

Link's face fell.

"I _would_ tell you, but…"

Zelda cut him off, "I know. I understand. I'm not asking you to tell me now. I know you must have a reason for whatever it is you're not telling me. I'm just explaining that it is frustrating for me, and that is why I was upset."

Zelda's nose was starting to get embarrassingly sniffly, so she turned her head away from him. She really needed to get going. There was no need to embarrass herself further.

"I need to go inside, Miro's waiting," Zelda said, head still turned away from Link. She turned to walk away when she felt Link's hand on her shoulder.

"Wait! Wait just a moment…" he said, waiting for her to turn back around of her own volition before continuing.

"Zelda, I know you don't know very much about me… you don't really have a good reason to trust me… But I need you to know that you can. You _can_ trust me. I only want to help, in whatever way I can."

Zelda looked into Link's eyes, and while her brain kept telling her, "He's right, you really have _no reason_ to believe him," her gut told her he was telling the truth. Her gut, and maybe some hormones. Link's expression seemed tortured, as if his entire self-worth hinged on whether or not she trusted him. His grip on her shoulder was still gentle, but she could feel the tension in his fingers. She didn't really know what to say, so she said nothing.

"That's all I really wanted to say," Link said. "I'll meet you and Miro outside the inn in the morning. I won't be joining you for dinner tonight."

He released her shoulder and stepped back, giving her space to retreat. Zelda turned back towards the inn and headed inside without looking back. She should probably be deciding whether or not to trust him, or trying to figure out his motivations, or something like that. Instead, all she could think about was strangely intimate, familiar way he'd called her "Zelda."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

 **AUTHOR'S NOTE: I hope you enjoy this chapter. A couple of people commented that Link seemed surprising unemotional about the trauma of all of his friends forgetting him and the things he did. Hopefully I addressed some of that here. I've always imagined Link to be a very stoic person—the kind of person who can handle some really crappy/weird stuff happening to him without getting too messed up. But of course, he still has feelings, so this chapter tries to explore that a little. On another note, BREATH OF THE WILD IS SOOOO GOOD. I honestly didn't think, as an adult, that I could enjoy a game this much ever again. But it's amazing. I might even like it better than Ocarina of Time o.O. Anyway, please read and review! It keeps me going!**

Link was at a party in Hyrule Field—in Lon Lon Ranch to be precise. Everyone was celebrating Ganondorf's defeat, and people from all over the kingdom were gathered to talk, sing, and dance around the bonfire. Link didn't think he'd ever seen so much happiness in one place before. It felt good to be at least partially responsible for that.

It felt like the whole kingdom was there. People Link had met at the far corners of Hyrule had arrived to revel, and Link felt a growing sense of contentment upon realizing that these people he'd met during his travels were his friends.

Nabooru drunkenly challenged Link to a shooting contest which Link won, but he suspected it was mostly due to her inebriated state. Link Jr. (as Link privately referred to the young goron named after him) kept asking for Link to carve his name into Link Jr.'s favorite rock (the goron equivalent of signing and autograph, Link supposed). Princess Ruto flipped her fins at Link seductively—which Link hadn't even thought possible before meeting her—and teased Link mercilessly while he nervously laughed off her advances. She never seemed to take it too seriously, though, which Link was relieved to realize.

The party continued on into the wee hours of the night, and Link was glad to see that as his energy waned, his joy did not. This party would end, but after it ended Link would finally get to enjoy living in a peaceful Hyrule—a place he along with his friends created. That was much more exciting than any one night of raucous fun.

Some partygoers left for home or a nearby inn, but many simply passed out on the field. It was remarkable—Hyrule Field was now a place in which one could simply fall asleep overnight without any concerns. Link himself hadn't fallen asleep yet; he was too wired from the night's events. He simply sat and stared into the dying embers of the bonfire.

He was nearly in a trance when he felt someone tap him on the shoulder. It was Zelda, all dressed up in her white and pink dress and golden diadem. She was radiant.

"Follow me," she said softly, obviously wanting to avoid waking people up.

Link rose and followed her, not entirely out of this trance-like state yet. Zelda led him away from the party but, perhaps because of his trance-like state, Link didn't know where they were and couldn't recall which way they'd come when Zelda stopped walking. They were in what looked like the ruins of an old castle. The grey stone walls were wet with moisture and supported large patches of moss. The grass underfoot was long and verdant. If they were still in Hyrule Field, it certainly wasn't a part of the field he'd ever been to before.

Zelda turned around to face him in front of an ancient stone wall. The moon shone on her face, giving her an almost otherworldly glow. She looked like Hylia herself.

"Link," she said softly, "we did it."

Link only nodded in response. Zelda took a step forward. She reached for his left hand and pulled it to her cheek, cupping his hand as it cupped the gentle curve of her face. She leaned into his touch, and Link felt like he couldn't breathe.

"They're saying you're a hero," Zelda said as she gradually drew closer to him. "They're saying you're the Hero of Time," she said, her voice now nearly a whisper. Sure, Link could be the Hero of Time. If that's what she wanted, he'd do it. He'd be whatever she wanted him to be.

He stood completely still as the distance between them grew smaller and smaller, until their lips touched. The transition was so gradual it was hard to tell exactly when the kiss started, but once it was started how amazing it was. She wanted him. She, the main focus of his life for years now, wanted him—was kissing him. The kiss started out slow and gentle—almost tentative—but it grew in intensity as Link deepened the kiss. Link could feel her hands running up and down his back, memorizing the subtle segmentation of his wiry muscles. In turn, his hands moved from her waist, to her shoulders, to her neck, back down to her hips—as if trying to decide which place he liked better, all the while pulling her to him, trying to reduce what remaining distance there was between them. They fed off of each other's urgency, and Link soon found himself pushing Zelda against the wall and kissing her neck, enjoying the small sounds he was able to pull from her.

A part of his brain started telling him he should probably cool things down—this was only their first kiss after all, and he didn't want to be disrespectful—but her neck really was so delightful. He had just about resolved to stop worshipping her neck and just hold her, when Link felt her push against his chest. He backed off immediately, sensing that something was wrong. Zelda's expression was filled with anger, and Link grew alarmed. Had he upset her?

"I… I'm sorry… Is everything OK?" he asked. In response, she shoved against his chest again—harder this time. Link took several steps backwards, more in shock than because the push was particularly powerful. What wrong?

"You don't belong here. This isn't your time. You should go back to where you came from," Zelda said, voice matching her angry expression. The words struck Link right to the core. So she didn't want him? He tried to find the words to respond—the words that would fix things—but came up with nothing. He suddenly felt unworthy, unworthy even to stand in Zelda's presence. What had he been thinking? How had he dared to presume he could kiss her? He just wanted to disappear.

Zelda's cold stare leveled at him, she spoke again. "You don't belong here. You need to leave."

She came forward and pushed him, harder this time. Link stumbled backwards further and found himself rolling down a slope that led to a cliff's edge he hadn't noticed when they arrived. He fell off. Maybe he could have caught himself on a ledge, maybe he could have stopped his fall, but he didn't care at this point. Zelda wanted him gone, so he would go. He heard her voice echoing in his head as he fell the long way down. _This isn't your time. You need to leave. You don't belong here_. He saw the ground approaching, as if in slow motion, and he was prepared to meet it.

* * *

Zelda nearly leaped out of her skin when she heard the yell. She was currently on watch while Link and Miro were asleep, camped out on Hyrule Field. They'd run into some bad weather coming out of Kakariko Village so they hadn't been able to make it all the way back to Castletown that night. She had third watch, and it had been a peaceful one up until that moment. The sound she'd heard wasn't exactly a scream, but it certainly sounded distressed. After a quick look around the camp, she was surprised to see Link awake, sitting up in his bedroll, leaning over and panting. Careful not to make too much noise and wake Miro, Zelda got up and moved over towards Link.

"Are you OK?" she asked, crouching down beside him and putting a tentative hand on his shoulder. He started a little at her touch—it seemed he hadn't noticed her approach, which was odd for him. He looked into her face and an unreadable expression crossed his. Zelda couldn't pinpoint exactly what it meant, but it was not a positive expression. After a moment, however, Link's expression regained its normal neutrality.

"I'm fine. I just had a bad dream."

"Oh, I'm sorry. It must have been pretty bad—it doesn't seem like much would scare you."

Link let out a short bark of a laugh at that.

"It really wasn't so bad. Just memories."

"So you dreamed about something that actually happened?"

"Not exactly. More like I thought I was over something that happened in the past, but this dream clearly proves I'm not."

Zelda really wanted to ask more, but it was apparent Link didn't want to talk about it. They both fell silent for a while.

"Can I ask you a question?" Link said suddenly.

"Certainly."

"If you had to choose… Say you could choose between losing seven years of your life, and losing the relationships you'd formed during those seven years, which would you choose?"

"The… relationships I'd formed? What do you mean?"

Link sighed and scratched his head.

"I guess it's a little hard to explain. Imagine that you lost all your friends. Not that they died or anything, but that they're not your friends any more. And they don't even remember ever being your friend in the first place. I guess that's it. What would you choose between losing seven years of your life and all your friends losing their memories of you from those seven years?"

Zelda was taken aback. This was a pretty odd, strangely specific question, but Link seemed very intent upon knowing the answer. It was clearly very important to him. She decided she should give it some serious thought before answering.

"Well, that certainly wouldn't be an easy decision. It would be terribly painful for my friends and family not to remember me. But at the same time, seven years could be a tenth of my entire life, and I could always rebuild my relationships with the people I care about. I suppose I would probably pick the one about friends losing their memory."

Link frowned and turned from her.

"I wouldn't."

Zelda also frowned. Link was behaving strangely, and she didn't like seeing him upset. It occurred to her that he probably had had a very difficult past, and that she had been giving him a hard time since they left the mountain. Zelda usually wasn't this impatient with people, and she felt disappointed with herself. She _hated_ not knowing things, but she had to learn to let some mysteries go. She didn't have a right to know all of his secrets.

"Link, I'm sorry about your dream. Your life surely hasn't been an easy one. Feel free to talk to me about it if you think it would be helpful," she said, once again resting her hand lightly on his shoulder. Link didn't reply—instead he just gave her the oddest look, as if he couldn't decide if what she'd said was sad or funny.

"Well, I'll let you go back to sleep, but I just want to let you know I'm very grateful for all the help you've provided Miro and me. Without you, not only would we have never located the Great Fairy, but we may have lost our lives as well. I am so glad that you are here."

For the first time that night, Zelda saw Link's expression lighten. She'd said at least _one_ thing right it seemed. Deciding to quit while she was ahead, Zelda nodded her head towards Link before rising and returning to her watch spot. Even after spending some time thinking about it, she still couldn't decide if she'd made things better or worse.

* * *

The next day they arrived back in Castletown and Link and Zelda parted ways. Zelda had told Link that she wanted his help finding the other Great Fairies, but that she wasn't sure if she'd be able to leave the castle for some time. She assured him that she'd contact him with any news.

Several weeks passed, and Link did not hear from Zelda. He figured it was probably just as well. His nightmare the night before their return to Castletown really brought home to him that he had a lot of unresolved feelings surrounding his journey back through time. Link prided himself on his self-control and mastery of his emotions. It had been years since he'd defeated Ganondorf, and Link had thought that he'd dealt with the pain of losing his previous life and moved on. Over the years, he'd convinced himself that he could deal with losing his friends—with no one remembering him or the sacrifices he'd made for them. It seemed vain to fixate on such a selfish problem. For the most part, he really had overcome his emotions regarding the matter. But apparently he had his limits, and spending several days in the constant company of Zelda was one of them.

Several weeks after escorting her to Death Mountain, Link found himself on his way to Lon Lon Ranch. Malon had asked him if he could help out sheering the sheep, so he planned to spend the week there Link spent the hours-long journey to the ranch trying to decide if he wanted to hear from Zelda again or not. Link admitted to himself that he had feelings for her—perhaps even loved her, but he was also angry with her. Just in the hour of his triumph, when he'd defeated Ganondorf and saved his friends, she'd sent him back in time. She'd sent him away! And yes, he supposed it made sense that she'd want him to get those seven years of his life back, but she never even asked him what he wanted. She just did it, and he had to deal with the consequences.

Compounding his frustration was the fact that the woman with whom he was angry no longer existed in this timeline. He had nobody he could this on blame this on—no one to kick and scream at for ruining his life. Sure, he did direct some of his frustration towards the Zelda he'd just been traveling with, but Link knew that wasn't fair. _That_ Zelda hadn't sent Link back in time—not exactly.

Also, her answer to his question had been intriguing. That she really seemed to believe it would be better to get those seven years back than to retain those relationships suggested that Zelda really did send Link back in time for his own good—whether it really was best for him or not. Link had never truly believed that Zelda had sent him back in time just to get rid of him, but in his darker moments a nagging little voice in the back of his mind would suggest it. It was nice to have further evidence that that voice as not correct.

Link was still mulling all of this over when her arrived at Lon Lon Ranch in the late afternoon. Malon came out to the front gate to meet him.

"Link! I'm so glad you made it! I don't have as many shearers this year, and I don't know if I could have got everything done without you," she said, pulling him for a warm hug as soon as he dismounted. She then turned to Epona and patter her neck affectionately, producing an apple seemingly out of nowhere as a special treat. Epona was clearly please.

"I'm not sure if you like me or Epona more," joked Link, enjoying seeing his friend in her element.

"Epona, definitely," Malon quickly replied, and Link wasn't entirely sure she was joking.

"Come on in, I've already got dinner started. We'll have an early morning tomorrow so we want to make sure we sleep early. "

Dinner was a simple affair, but Malon's food was rich and homey. Link always enjoyed going to Lon Lon Ranch for this reason—it made him feel like he was experiencing life in a normal Hylian family. Link loved his childhood among the Kokiri, of course, but he sometimes wished he could have experienced being a part of the same kind of family other Hylians had. Link secretly suspected that Malon knew this, so she always tried to be extra familial with him.

"So how did your trip to Death Mountain go?" asked Malon over a bowl of Hylian Shroom soup. Ah. Link had forgotten that he'd told Malon about that. He shrugged.

"It was fine. I mean, it wasn't great. One of my clients almost got himself killed, but we all got back in one piece."

"Oh. I just wondered if something happened. You've seemed kind of distracted."

Link looked away. "It's nothing—just a little stress is all." He definitely did not want to talk to Malon about this. He had to change the subject—and quick.

"So I heard Ingo's nephew has taken a fancy to you."

Malon's face looked as if she'd just caught of whiff of particularly sour milk. "Don't remind me. I don't want Ingo to feel bad, but I just can't stand the guy."

"You don't need to feel bad for Ingo. He's an eel," said Link. Malon might not remember what Ingo did when Ganondorf seized control, but Link did. He definitely held it against Ingo. Malon just frowned again.

"I already have my sights set on someone, I'll have you know."

"Really? Someone I know?"

"His name is Shad," Malon practically swooned.

"Oh, that bookish guy who lives in Castletown?"

"You're just saying he's bookish because he works at the book store!"

"No, I'm saying that because he's... well, he's just a little awkward. I dunno, Malon, I feel like you belong outdoors, in the field with your favorite horse. Shad seems like the kind of guy who would be indoors with his favorite book."

Malon laughed and shoved Link lightly on the shoulder.

"Who wants to be with someone who's exactly the same as they are? Don't be silly."

Link shrugged again. "I guess I just think there's a limit to how different you should be."

"Well what about you? You know that poor Paya has a major crush on you."

Link sighed. "I know. You shouldn't encourage her."

Paya was Malon's new ranch hand. She was sweet, but Link wasn't particularly interested, and didn't want to lead her on.

"I'll encourage her if I want to, thank you very much. She's really sweet and—who knows—maybe she'll change your mind about a few things."

Link smiled back at Malon. The rest of the night continued on in the pleasant fashion of two old friends caching up. Malon had a way of teasing Link that few others could quite manage, and he enjoyed her ribbing. As he was falling asleep, it occurred to Link that he now knew Malon much better than he'd ever known her in the previous timeline. They really were much closer friends than before. Perhaps Zelda had been right—you couldn't get the seven years back, but you could always rebuild the lost relationships. Of course, that would work for Malon, and even for Darunia and Princess Ruto to a certain extent. Link had managed to meet up with and form friendships with each of them after his defeat of Ganondorf. But Zelda—she was the kind of person he would only have a chance to meet under extremely unusual circumstances. He feared that, while her logic may have worked in regards to his other friends, it failed in regards to her. Then another thought struck him: wasn't he getting a chance to rebuild his friendship with her right now?

Right then, Link resolved to try and meet with Zelda again. If he could somehow rebuild his relationship with her, he just might be able to have it all: the missing seven years of his life _and_ the relationships he'd formed during his fight against Ganondorf. It might not work, but damned if Link wasn't going to at least try.


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note: Pretty much all I ever want to do nowadays is play BOTW, but since I'm stuck at a work retreat I guess I'll write instead :p I also felt a renewed sense of urgency writing this when it occurred to me that Nintendo is probably NEVER going to** ** _actually_** **make Link/Zelda happen, even though it's** ** _obviously_** **meant to be (I haven't finished BOTW yet, so I suppose Nintendo could prove me wrong, but I doubt it). They're just going to endlessly tease us with lingering looks and heroic rescues. So stories like these will have to suffice. Anyway, I have a fairly clear idea of where the story is going and when it's going to end, so I hope you all stick with me! I'd really really appreciate reviews. It can honestly be hard to feel motivated if you feel like people aren't reading. I also really want to improve my writing, and reviews would really help with that. Thanks so much! I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

Chapter 7

Just as she had suspected, Zelda received quite an earful from her father once she got home. As soon as she passed through the castle gates she dutifully went straight to his study and explained to him all that had occurred during their trip, only leaving out the strange words the Great Fairy had uttered. She tried to point out that she and Miro were fine, and that they had succeeded in finding the Great Fairy, but her father didn't care about her mission and he let her know it. He'd never really understood why Zelda thought it was so important to find the Great Fairies in the first place.

And so Zelda was more or less under house-arrest—or rather castle-arrest—for at least a couple of months. She was going out of her mind with boredom, but she tried to fill her days researching in the castle libraries. She had already read most of what interested her in the main collection, so Zelda started studying the rare books and documents in the royal archives. The librarian, a crinkly old woman named Nal, only recently began trusting Zelda enough to handle the old books herself, and Zelda found them fascinating. Well, truthfully she actually found most of them quite dry, but several rare finds were truly intriguing.

Reading was one of the only ways Zelda could get the Great Fairy and Link off her mind. To be honest, although the Great Fairy's words had been mysterious, it was Link that occupied most of her thoughts. She found herself more and more curious about him—who he was, what he knew about her, and how he knew so many of Hyrule's secrets. Sometimes she worried that her interest was simply a symptom of infatuation. While she hadn't thought him exceptionally attractive when she'd first met him, she somehow found him increasingly attractive each time she revisited her memories of their time together. She caught herself meditating on the strangest things: the sturdy shape of his forearms, the fascinating planes of his calves, the oddly whimsical earrings that graced his perfect ears. She had even once caught herself imagining biting one of those ears. As soon as she realized where her thoughts had turned her face turned beet red and her surprised tutor asked her if she needed to go outside to cool down.

Yes, she knew that she was probably at least a little infatuated with the man in green, but he also represented a genuine mystery. Zelda thrived on a challenge, and figuring out the Puzzle of Link was certainly challenging.

She wanted desperately to write him as she'd promised—to tell him that they could go find the other Great Fairies together. Unfortunately, it was impossible under the current circumstances. She knew she should probably write him and tell him so, but she couldn't bear to close off the possibility. She knew it was childish, but she felt that as long as she didn't tell him she could not go with him, there was a small chance it might still happen.

And so, to distract herself, she threw herself into her research. It actually wasn't purely distraction. She was also continuing her studies of the Great Fairies. That had been her original goal, after all, and they were certainly also a piece of the Puzzle of Link. One day she decided to research the Goddess Hylia, as some believed the Great Fairies to be either her creation or pieces of her consciousness (Zelda sincerely hoped they were not pieces of Hylia's consciousness, as she liked to think that Hylia had had more tact than that). While researching Hylia, Zelda discovered an old, relatively rare folk tale about the Goddess. It said that, in order to seal Demise away, the Goddess traded her immortality for mortality and appointed a brave warrior each generation the powers of Demise threatened to return. This legend was not a particularly popular one—different goddesses waxed and waned in favor with the people as the ages passed, and Hylia was currently not as popular as Din, Nayru, or Farore. Even amongst those who favored Hylia the story was not a common one. Hylia was a goddess and so the suggestion that she traded her immortality for mortality was considered by some to be blasphemous. Regardless, something about the story caught Zelda's attention. It brought to mind other stories she'd read—stories of her ancestors and the brave warriors who had come to their aid. It was such a common theme, it was now considered a stereotype: the lone Hylian warrior who came out of nowhere to rescue the princess.

Zelda thought that perhaps some of these legends must have been based on real people somewhere back in the mists of time, so she started digging. She found the story of a man who fell from the sky and assisted Hylia in sealing up the forces of darkness. She also found the story of a commoner who claimed the Master Sword and defeated an evil wizard, protecting the princess from his malevolent power. There were several other stories—variations on a theme—and somehow, they all reminded her of Link. She couldn't quite pinpoint why. Link did use a sword, but it wasn't the Master Sword. He was a commoner, but there were lots of commoners in the kingdom that _didn't_ remind her of the "hero of legend." Still, she couldn't quite shake the feeling that there was a connection there, and she felt it unwise to completely ignore her intuition.

It was easy to get lost in these ancient myths from times long past, and Zelda spent days and days in between the stacks of dusty tomes. Zelda had been locked up in the royal archives for several weeks before Nal finally kicked her out.

"Don't worry, I'm not keeping you from the archives permanently. I just think it's time you got some fresh air. Come back in a day or two."

Zelda sighed but acquiesced. Nal was probably right—she was beginning to forget what sunlight looked like. She obediently left the musty chambers to wander the ramparts. She leaned over and rested her elbows against the parapet, and she was just settling into a proper daydream when a flash of forest green caught her eye. In the courtyard below, several of the palace guards were congregating around a pair of men in combat. In her wanderings, she had ended up just above the castle's training grounds, and she was shocked to realize that one of the men fighting in the training ground below was Link.

He was wearing his trademark green tunic, but in addition to that he had the royal blue Hylian shield, some light leather armor, and a helmet. His opponent also wore leather armor and a helmet, leading Zelda to guess that the equipment had been provided to Link by the training grounds. At the moment, Link and the other man were slowly circling each other, each looking for an opening. The man seemed hesitant, and Zelda realized that he was probably put off by Link's left handed use of the sword. Men in Hyrule were generally trained to use the sword with their right hand, whether they were right handed or not.

Link noticed his opponent's moment of hesitation and leapt forward, swinging his sword down hard at the man's head. The man managed to get his shield up in time to block the blow, but Link's blow was heavy enough to break the man's footing, and he stumbled back several steps. Link followed up his initial attack by slicing quickly towards the man's neck, and Link's unfortunate opponent did not have enough time to stop the swing. Link stopped the blade inches from the man's neck, and the duel was over.

It had been a short match, but Link's dominance had been clearly apparent. It was honestly breathtaking. As both men took off their helmets and shook hands firmly, Zelda rushed down the stairs from the ramparts to the training grounds, thinking of nothing other than her desire to know what Link was doing there and why. Luckily, she recognized the man who Link had fought as she drew closer, and she called out to him.

"Captain Ado, what have you been doing?"

The captain looked up, surprised to see his princess heading towards him with unwarranted urgency.

"Milady, you honor us with your presence! I was simply testing a new recruit."

"A new recruit? Master Link, are you joining the castle guard?"

Link, who looked like he'd been just been frozen in place by an ice bat, soundlessly opened and closed his mouth several times before finally spitting out a response.

"I ahh… That was my intention, Your Majesty. I believed any with a sword were allowed to apply."

An increasingly confused Captain Ado turned to address Zelda, "It looks like you are already acquainted with young Link here. He showed up the other day and asked to join the castle guard. It's unusual to accept new guards who weren't pages or otherwise apprenticed in the castle first, but it's not unheard of. I set up his evaluation for today, and he's passed with flying colors."

"…But if Your Majesty does not approve…" Link said, uncertainly lifting his arm to scratch behind his head.

"No, of course you can join the castle guard, Link. I was just surprised," said Zelda.

"Perhaps it's not my place to ask, but how does Milady know young Link?" asked Captain Ado carefully.

It was at that moment that Zelda realized how large their audience had grown. All the guards who had gathered to watch the duel were still there, staring, and several servants had also joined the group of spectators. She immediately gathered her cool demeanor about her like a thick cloak, and responded evenly.

"Master Link has been employed by the royal family before to take care of various odds and ends. He was very helpful in that capacity, so it is good to hear he will join the castle guard. Thank you, Captain Ado."

Link and Captain Ado both bowed as Zelda beat a hasty-yet-regal retreat. She moved without pause all the way to her quarters, where she sat down on the floor and leaned against the back of her closed door, heart still racing away.

* * *

Link was having a hard time adjusting to life as a castle guard. He had never had much, but he had always had the freedom to go where he wanted whenever he pleased. Now, his life was nothing but schedules and endless monotony. He could no longer blame the guards who had so easily let him slip by as a ten-year-old sneaking into the castle to see Princess Zelda—they must have been bored into a comatose state.

His first day in the castle had been exciting. He often thought back to his duel with Captain Ado and Princess Zelda's subsequent unexpected arrival. It had felt exhilarating to realize that, compared to other men, he was an exceptional swordsman—after all he had mostly only fought monsters before—and it had felt even more exhilarating to see Zelda's face brighten with excitement upon seeing him. Of course, her reaction towards his presence at the castle was harder to judge after that initial encounter. The chance encounter in the training grounds had also given him the false impression that he might often run into Zelda during his time at the castle. However, he hadn't seen her once since that day, and he was beginning to grow frustrated. He had prepared himself, had told himself many times before joining the castle guard that he might not be able to see Zelda often. He had told himself to be patient. It was much easier said than done.

Of course, Link still found ways to distract himself. Captain Ado was a helpful and patient teacher, and he'd made some friends among the guards. Taio and Gad were brothers who had grown up in the castle, serving as pages before joining the castle guard. They were funny and lively, and Link never found he had to fill any uncomfortable silences when on guard duty with either of them. About a month after he had started with the castle guard, Link was relieved to learn that he'd been assigned to gatehouse duty with both Taio and Gad. His otherwise boring shift was guaranteed to be slightly more interesting with them sharing the watch.

As always, Link was in a rush as he headed off towards the gatehouse. He'd overslept again, and wanted to hurry there so he wouldn't get another dressing down from the Captain for tardiness. The sun was just beginning to set and the normally drab gatehouse looked almost golden in the dying sunlight. Link was so caught up in the beauty of it all that he hardly noticed when a woman stepped out from an intersecting path and plowed right into him.

"I am so sorry, please forgive me," said Link, quick to reach a hand down to help the woman up. Looking up at him was a very indignant Zelda. She looked annoyed until she noticed who it was she had run into, then she looked away, abashed.

"Link! I… I was just coming back from the Great Fairy. I'm sorry I ran into you."

"That's fine, I wasn't paying attention to where I was going. …Did the Great Fairy say anything?" Link said, daring to hope that the fickle fairy had given Zelda more information about their defeat of Ganondorf.

"No," replied Zelda, looking downcast. "She says I need to remember myself. I only wish I knew what I was supposed to be remembering." Her delicate mouth twisted downwards into a frown.

She looked up again, and finally noticed the hand Link still held out to her. She took it, and he helped her up off the ground. After holding her hand to help her up, Link found himself reluctant to let go, and Zelda apparently also felt no urgency to break contact. Almost unconsciously, Link pulled his hand in towards himself, drawing her ever so slightly closer to him. She seemed almost like a stunned deer, staring back at him with dumb incomprehension.

"I uh… I haven't heard from you," said Link, voice barely audible.

"I know. I'm sorry, I just… Well you know I can't really talk to you just anywhere—"

"Link! You're late!" rang out Gad's voice, sounding alarmingly close.

Zelda and Link whirled apart, Zelda hurrying down the path towards the castle, and Link heading onward towards the gate. Gad was just a few steps down the path, and he had undoubtedly witnessed at least some of Link and Zelda's encounter. Link swallowed thickly and trotted towards the gatehouse, hoping desperately that Gad would drop the whole incident. Of course, he had no such luck.

"Hey Taio, guess where I found our youngest recruit," Gad burst out as soon as the gatehouse door shut behind them.

"Probably chatting up some cute servant. Practically half the female population of the castle is salivating after him," replied Taio.

"Close! But it's even juicier than that. I found Princess Zelda, practically swooning in his arms." Link instantly turned so red he was sure even his blond hair must now be as fiery as Ganondorf's.

"Oh? I thought she seemed interested at his entry trial. She certainly didn't burst into the training grounds to watch _my_ trials," said Taio, nudging Link with his elbow, almost knocking the nonresponsive Link over.

"Guys… It really was nothing," Link said weakly, "and you really shouldn't talk about the princess that way."

"Well then _you_ shouldn't _look_ at the princess that way," retorted Gad, elbowing Link on his other side. Both Gad and Taio burst out laughing, but Taio calmed down first and clapped Link on the shoulder.

"We get it Link, we're just teasing. And you're right. Gad, we could get in trouble if someone overheard us saying anything about the princess."

While Link usually enjoyed the brothers' boisterous personalities, he found himself on the wrong end of their mischievousness that night, and guard duty crawled by at a snail's pace. When he finally fell into bed at the end of his shift, he was so completely exhausted he almost missed the letter placed carefully on his bed. He hastily opened the letter, figuring it must be from Malon, only to see the royal seal at the bottom.

 _Master Link,_

 _You are hereby summoned to appear before His Majesty the King tomorrow evening at the seventh bell for a formal audience and dinner._

Link swallowed hard once more, and spent the entire night wondering what the king could possibly want from him.


	8. Chapter 8

**Wow, I'm updating so fast! Long work conferences must be my muse. I'm going to be tired tomorrow, but whatevs. I really hope you like this chapter. I think it flowed better than some of my previous chapters, and I had fun with Link and Zelda's interactions. Also, exciting revelations are about to take place! Please read and review! I'd really love some feedback and suggestions for improvements!**

Chapter 8

Zelda couldn't sleep, so she stayed up reading. She was going to see Link tomorrow for dinner, and she couldn't force the butterflies in her stomach to stick to her normal sleep schedule. Of course, it was her fault he was coming to dinner. After running into him outside of the gatehouse the night before, she'd determined that she _had_ to find a way to see him again. She'd run to her father and told him that the man who had saved her and Miro was now a castle guard. After detailing Link's deeds, she'd subtly planted the idea of honoring the brave man with a personal audience and dinner in her father's mind, and just as she'd predicted, he took the bait. Her father even sent the invitation to Link that very night, surprising even Zelda in his enthusiasm for the idea.

So here Zelda was, reading to pass the insomniac hours. She was making her way through a long book of traditional songs and poems. This book happened to have a chapter of poems related to the hero of legend, so it was of particular interest to her.

Most of the poems contained the same old stories she'd heard before: the hero would be young, the hero would save Hyrule, the hero would have the mark of the Triforce on his left hand, the hero would bear the Master Sword, etc. etc. She was beginning to think there was nothing new she could learn from these poems when she stumbled across a short folk song tacked on at the bottom of one page.

 _A hero rises out of the land_

 _With courage of heart and sword in hand_

 _Strong in spirit and clad in green_

 _He fights against darkness to defend his queen_

"Clad in green?" she said aloud to herself. She'd never heard that before, and she immediately thought of Link's unusual green clothing. Could it be that… Link was the hero of legend? There really wasn't that much evidence to suggest it except… He was young, he was Hylian, he was skilled with the sword, he wore green, and he seemed to know about many of Hyrule's most obscure mysteries. It was a thin connection, but Zelda's intuition was telling her there was something there. She knew it would be difficult, but she resolved to find a way to speak with him alone. That night, Zelda finally managed to go to sleep, still strategizing over her dinner plans

* * *

Link walked uncertainly towards the royal audience chamber, tugging awkwardly at his cream-colored tunic. He didn't really have anything appropriate to wear to an audience with the king, so Taio had lent him his finest tunic. It was nice, made with silk and embellished with royal blue accents, and its quality only made Link more uncomfortable. A man Link recognized as the royal crier walked towards him as he approached and led him to the door, which was quite a relief since he wasn't quite sure what he was supposed to do.

"What is your full name and title?" the man asked Link.

"Uh… Link. Link of the Kokiri."

"No Master or Sir or Duke?" asked the man incredulously.

"No, just Link."

"OK then, just come in as soon as you hear me say your name.

The man promptly opened the door and walked through, calling loudly,

"Presenting Link of the Kokiri, Your Majesty!"

Link could not ignore his cue even if he'd wanted to, so he took a deep breath, and walked through the door. He forced himself to keep walking until he reached the large circular rug in front of the throne, in which sat a very regal King Daphnes Nohansen. Then he knelt and bowed.

"Rise," said the king, and Link obediently stood and looked into his liege's face.

"Young Master Link, my daughter tells me you saved my servant Miro's life during their trip to Death Mountain," said the king in a booming voice.

Link only nodded in response. If this was all the audience was about, he could handle that.

"This pleases me. Miro has been a valued friend to the royal family for many years, and your service will not go unnoticed. I spoke with Miro as well and he also informed me that you were valiant and tireless in protecting the Princess."

"I only did my duty, Your Majesty," replied Link, trying to look as humble as possible.

"There is no need to be so modest, young man. You have done well. I have spoken with Captain Ado and he says that, despite your short tenure, you are one of his most talented guards. As a reward for your services, I wish to present you with this sword. It was forged by the castle's finest blacksmith. I hope you treasure it, and keep it well."

With that, the king stood and held out a sword that had been handed to him by a servant. Link took a hesitant step forward, and grabbed the sword by the hilt. It was sheathed, but even in its sheath Link could tell it was a gorgeous weapon. The hilt itself was inlayed with gold, and a large piece of blue topaz adorned the pommel. Obviously, no sword could ever truly compare to the Master Sword, but this came the closest of anything he'd seen before.

"To be honest, Master Link, I considered knighting you, but Captain Ado thought it would be best if you gained more experience in the guard first. However, know that if you continue to serve the royal family loyally, you will be rewarded."

Link tore his eyes away from the sword and looked back up at the king. He nodded solemnly.

"I understand, Your Majesty. I am always at your disposal."

"Excellent!" the king clapped his hands and adopted a much more relaxed demeanor. "Now that we have the formalities over with, let's eat!"

The king turned and headed towards a side door that opened onto the dining room, and Link followed. Link hoped no one could tell the way his heart leapt into his throat when he saw Zelda already seated at the large table. There were over twenty seats at the table, so Link was surprised when a servant led him to sit in the empty seat next to Zelda. He thought his heart might now leap completely out of his body. She nodded demurely to him as he sat down.

"Master Link," she said in her royal voice, nodding to him in greeting.

He nodded back, "Your Majesty."

"Master Link, right?" a man Link didn't recognize from across the table addressed him. The man was middle-aged and portly, but had the energy and exuberance of a teenager. "I am Sir Modet. It is nice to meet you!"

The dinner was introduction after introduction, as each of the courtiers wished to know about the young man the king had chosen to honor. Link barely had a chance to speak two words to Zelda. He was disappointed that they could not talk more, but he felt lucky to even be able to share space with her for that short period of time. Dinner was coming to a close when Link finally had a chance to speak with her.

"Princess Zelda, I hope that you are well." _Really?_ thought Link to himself, _you finally get a chance to speak with her and that is all you can think to say?_

Zelda simply smiled in response.

"I am well, Master Link. I am glad you were able to join us for dinner tonight."

"Of course, Your Majesty. I only hope I have carried myself properly tonight. I have never been around court or the royal family before."

"Ah, yes. There are many rules and traditions that one must follow here. For some it can feel difficult to speak freely," she said, giving Link a meaningful look. "Do not fret, though, Master Link. You have done a wonderful job."

Link blushed a little and looked down into his dessert. It was just as he was doing this when he noticed a slender hand on his thigh. He almost jumped completely out of his seat, but Zelda gave him a fleeting but intense look that said, " _make one move and you'll regret it."_ She looked as though she were simply eating her dessert with her right hand, but her left hand was actually under the table, wreaking havoc with his nerves and his hormones. He tried to remain still and keep breathing at the same time. He felt her hand let go of his thigh, but then it pressed what felt like a piece of paper into his lap, only to reappear above the table moments later. Finally catching on to Zelda's motives for this whole escapade, Link dropped his napkin to the floor and took advantage of the time it took to pick it up to stuff the paper into his boot.

He wasn't really able to speak to Zelda again before the end of the night, but this did not depress him as much now that he had the paper. He bid Zelda, the king, and the other courtiers goodnight as everyone went their separate ways, and returned to the barracks anxious to read the note Zelda had expended so much effort in getting to him. As soon as he shut the door behind him, he practically threw his boots off and shoved his hand into the boot, fishing out the crumpled paper.

 _Link,_

 _I wish to speak to you in private. I will be waiting for you tomorrow night, at the tenth bell, by the well in the southwestern garden._

 _-Zelda_

* * *

Zelda intended to wait anxiously by the well in the southwestern garden until Link arrived, but he had apparently been more anxious than she—she arrived to see him already there, pacing back and forth in front of the well like a man awaiting judgment. She coughed, alerting him to her presence, and he turned to her, bowing low.

"Thank you for meeting with me tonight," Zelda said.

"It is my pleasure, Your Majesty."

Zelda frowned. He had called her Zelda before. The contrast was discouraging.

"Link, forgive me for asking, but why did you decide to come to the castle?"

"I… Well, travelling with you inspired me to join the castle guard. I have been wandering for a long time, but it felt good to have a greater sense of purpose. I thought, since I have learned to fight, the castle guard might be somewhere I could make myself useful."

"Link, you seem like the kind of person who could be useful anywhere."

"…As I said, I can leave if you so desire."

"No, no don't leave," she said, voice growing soft. Link started to smile, and the brightness of hope in his face melted Zelda's heart a little. She simply looked into his face for long moment before remembering that it was she who had called him here. She had already asked him why he had come to the castle, and that had been her main purpose for this conversation. She supposed they could each go back to their rooms now, but she didn't want him to go just yet.

"May I see your hand?" she blurted out, impulsively deciding to test a wild theory of hers. "…the left one, please."

Link looked confused, but also hopeful. He held out his left hand as if to shake hers, and she grabbed it like a specimen she was about to dissect and mount.

It was a normal hand of average size, callused and encased in a leather fingerless gauntlet. Had Zelda looked up she would have seen Link's fierce blush, but instead she was completely focused on analyzing the hand she held in both of hers, moving it this way and that to observe it from every angle. She was in full-on scientist mode, and therefore did not ask for permission before pulling at the straps and beginning to remove the gauntlet. Link started a little, befuddled by the strange direction the night was taking, but not daring to refuse the princess. Eventually, she got the gauntlet off of his hand and held his bare hand in hers. The naked hand did not reveal much more information, although the stark tan lines where the gauntlet had been provided evidence for how much time Link spent outside. However, as Zelda examined Link's bare hand, something happened.

Link's hand started to glow, and as Zelda turned it over to look at the other side, she saw the golden shape of the Triforce faintly visible on the back of Link's hand. He took a sharp intake of breath, and drew his hand away as if he'd been pricked by a needle, but her fingers closed tightly around his wrist and trapped him there. It was then that she noticed that her own hand seemed warm. She looked at her hand and saw a matching glowing Triforce, and this time it was she who gasped.

"Link! You have the Triforce of Courage! And… and I have the Triforce of Wisdom!"

"I uh… oh," Link said dumbly.

"That's amazing! We need to tell my father right away! This usually happens right before a great threat to Hyrule arises."

"No, I don't… That's not a good idea. There's no threat."

"But it must be!" Zelda insisted, "The signs are all there—your piece of the Triforce and mine."

"No, I'm saying that the threat already happened."

"…"

"There was a threat to Hyrule, and I already dealt with it," said Link, trying to explain.

"But… What did you do? When did this happen?"

"There was a man named Ganondorf who tried to take the Triforce, and I stopped him."

Zelda stepped away from him, holding her head in her hands, trying desperately to piece everything together.

"By yourself?" she asked.

Link paused, then answered firmly, "No. You helped me."

Zelda said nothing, at a loss for words.

"Zelda, Ganondorf came and took over Hyrule when I was ten years old. He ruled in darkness with an iron fist for seven years, and then you and I stopped him. After we defeated him, you sent me back in time so I could live those seven years peacefully. Unfortunately, after I came back you no longer remembered what had happened."

Zelda took another step back. She was having difficulty processing this new information.

"So… You already knew me?"

"Zelda, I've known you for a long time. I've _missed_ you for a long time."

He looked so relieved to have finally revealed his secret. He almost stood taller, as if a heavy weight had literally been lifted from his shoulders. He stepped forward suddenly and threw his arms around Zelda, hugging her tightly to him. His nose burrowed into her hair a little, and it as was if he were trying to soak up her very essence.

"I've missed you so much," he said, his voice a hoarse whisper.

Zelda's chest tightened at his confession. His arms around her felt good and right. She'd never had a man whisper passionate words into her ear before, and it was thrilling. She stood there for several long moments, completely motionless, simply enjoying the feeling of safety and warmth Link's embrace provided.

In the next moment, however, her brain revolted. She broke free from his arms and stumbled backwards.

"No!" she said, forcing the words out. "No."

"No?" Link asked, his voice breaking a little.

"I am grateful for the things you have done for me. I don't find you to be untrustworthy. However, I cannot simply accept something so fantastic on your word alone."

"I… understand," said Link, and this time Zelda could see it was his heart that broke instead of his voice.

"I must go," she choked out, and Link didn't reply. Zelda couldn't bear to see him in so much pain. She turned and left him alone in the dark courtyard

* * *

As soon as Zelda left, Link collapsed to the floor, as If her presence had been the only thing keeping him upright.

He'd told her, and she didn't believe him. He'd told her, and she'd rejected him. This was _exactly_ why he hadn't said anything before. This was _exactly_ what he'd been afraid of.

Link simply sat there, on the ground, for some time before he found the motivation to move. He needed to leave. He had only really come to the castle to see Zelda, and he didn't particularly enjoy being a castle guard. Maybe being a knight would be OK, but that might take years and he was decidedly uninterested in putting himself through that torture.

Eventually, he managed to drag himself back to his barracks. He packed up his possessions (he didn't have much), carefully folded his uniform, laid his armor out on his bed, wrote a letter of resignation to Captain Ado, and left. He did not look back.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

 **AUTHOR'S NOTE: Another chapter! Things are moving fairly quickly now, I hope it doesn't feel too fast. I've never been a fan of artificially extending plot points. Please let me know what you think in reviews. I'd also be interested in knowing what makes a satisfying ending for you. I already have ideas on how to end the story (don't worry, still at least a couple chapters before the end), but I'd really like your input as to what makes an ending great. Thanks! FAIRLY MINOR UPDATE 4/3/2017**

Zelda paced back and forth in her room, visibly agitated. It had already been late when she'd gone to see Link, so no servants or ladies-in-waiting were around to see her. Part of Zelda wished she had someone to talk to about the night's events, but another part of her knew she shouldn't say anything and was glad the temptation was not available.

Link had the Triforce of Courage, she had the Triforce of Wisdom. What on earth was she supposed to make of that? Maybe she should have stayed and listened to Link's story in more detail, but it was just so preposterous! And not only that, he wasn't just telling her a story. It had felt much more… loaded than that. He clearly felt very strong emotions towards her—the kind you build up over years of knowing someone. Those kinds of emotions were overwhelming, especially because Zelda didn't understand where they were coming from. It had been frightening for him to treat her with such… unwarranted familiarity. It had all just been too much, and Zelda had to get away.

Suddenly, Zelda felt incredibly drained—emotionally, mentally, and physically. She was sick of thinking, and resented Link for putting her in such a difficult situation. Think, think, think, that's all she ever did!

 _I can think about this tomorrow,_ she thought defiantly. _I'll have a clearer head in the morning._ That was the reasoning she gave herself, although she knew it was actually because she was feeling petulant and rebellious. This moodiness was easy—much easier than logically and calmly working through her problems. She knew she was just avoiding the problem, but in that moment she couldn't bring herself to care.

She fell onto her bed and was asleep within minutes.

* * *

Zelda woke to the smell of smoke and screaming. She leapt out of the small bed she'd been resting in in Impa's home. Impa was already awake and putting on her armor.

"It's the well," she said, voice unfailinglLy even. "You go take care of the village. I'm going to the temple to try and seal that thing back up."

Zelda nodded sharply and, barely stopping to put on her shoes and wrap her face, darted out the door and onto the balcony, then vaulted onto the roof.

A house across the way was on fire, but the townspeople could probably handle that. The townspeople could definitely _not_ handle the unseen creature emerging from the well.

Zelda leapt down from the roof to the ground directly in front of the well. She strained to use the Sheikah detection techniques Impa had taught her, but she could still only just make out a hazy suggestion of where the monster might be. Luckily, it was enough to dodge a powerful swipe from one of the monster's limbs, and the monster retreated deep into the well after its first attempts to attack the princess.

Zelda stared at the well, preparing herself for the monster's next attack and thinking furiously about what she could possibly do to stop it.

It was at that moment that Link arrived, startling the already tense Zelda.

"Get back Link!" she practically barked, holding an arm out. The monster must have sensed her attention shift, for it chose that moment to burst from the well, invisible limbs flailing, and grab Zelda around the waist. The creature whirled her around in dizzying circles before hurling her to the ground, leaving her dazed but not unconscious.

She felt Link's hand on her shoulder, his concerned voice asking her if she was ok. She wanted to respond, but couldn't quite managed it. It seemed the wind that had been knocked out of her had not yet returned. She tilted her head a little to see Link readying himself for the monster, who had escaped the well and was preparing to charge him. She almost laughed. He was the very picture of courage: determinedly facing a powerful creature he couldn't even see. It was all just a little too cliché.

Of course, courage notwithstanding, Link couldn't do much against a creature he couldn't see. The well monster picked him up and threw him hard against the ground, and he promptly blacked out. The creature then flew off towards the graveyard, and Zelda, figuring it was headed for the Shadow Temple, guessed that it wouldn't come back.

Zelda paused for a moment, the possibility occurring to her that perhaps Link _hadn't_ just passed out. She started to panic, willing the air to return to her lungs to give her the strength to get up and check on him. She saw his chest rise and fall and let out a breath of relief. Kneeling next to him, she shook him gently, but he didn't seem ready to rejoin the land of the conscious yet.

Zelda took that opportunity to observe his prone figure. He was always so tense, she didn't think she'd ever seen him relaxed. If Zelda ignored the painful process that had led him to be lying, completely relaxed, on the ground it was… nice. It hurt to feel responsible for all of the difficult things Link was forced to do. Seeing him like this gave Zelda some hope for the future. One day, when all of this was over, Link could just rest. She really wanted to give that to him.

He stirred a little, and Zelda leaned over him, oddly curious as to how his gaze would appear immediately after waking. When he opened his eyes, she said, "Looks like you're coming around."

"What _was_ that thing," asked Link, holding a hand to his head and wincing.

"It was an evil shadow spirit that has been in this area for many generations. Impa sealed it under the well years ago, but thanks to the growing powers of evil in Hyrule, it broke the seal."

Link's face blanched a little.

"Evil… shadow… spirit?"

Zelda got the distinct impression that Link did not like spirits or ghosts. She was tempted to tease him about it, but she refrained. Link didn't need that right now.

"Impa has gone to the Shadow Temple to seal it, but she will need your help. Link, this isn't just important to seal away the spirit. Impa is one of the six sages—she must survive or else our plan to stop Ganondorf will fail."

"I understand," Link said, resolute as always. Despite his resolute tone, though, Zelda noticed his shoulders slump and little. She could tell he was exhausted. Hearing that he'd need to sweat and bleed his way through another grueling dungeon, especially one as ominously named as the Shadow Temple, must not have been pleasant. Zelda wanted so much to stay and help him. Sheikah magic would be particularly useful in the Shadow Temple, but it simply wasn't possible. The prophecies were quite clear on the matter: it would take both Link and Zelda to stop Ganondorf. It was too risky for them both to be in the same place at the same time for too long. Together, they were much too tempting a target for the evil king to ignore.

Knowing it probably wasn't a good idea, she placed a tentative hand on the Hero's shoulder.

"Link, I know this is difficult, but I believe you can do this. And while you're in there I'll be doing what I can out here. Together, we can stop him."

Link closed his eyes for a moment, processing Zelda's words. He let out a deep breath, then opened his eyes again, wearing a look of sheer determination Zelda had come to recognize. Her heart squeezed a little again at the sight. _I ask so much of him,_ she thought to herself not for the first time. _I hope this is all worth it._

They both stood, and Zelda pulled a harp seemingly out of nowhere, and began playing a baleful dirge for Link.

"This song will take you to the Shadow Temple, above the graveyard in Kakariko Village."

Link played along with her, and Zelda was pleased that he was a quick learner—not that it was a terribly complicated song. Once she'd ensured that he'd memorized the song, she backed away from him.

"Let me take care of the village. I'm counting on you Link!" she said, then threw a deku nut on the ground and disappeared.

* * *

Zelda woke with up all at once, briefly unsure of where and when she was. She tried to go back to sleep, but she couldn't stop thinking about her strange dream. The more she thought about it, the further it slipped from reality. It had felt very real—like a true memory—but Zelda knew these things had never happened in her life before. Somehow, though, she knew they were true. One way or another, what she had dreamed had really happened.

She needed to know. She needed to know if Link's story was true. She needed to know if her dream was some long-lost memory. It would require taking huge risks to find out, but she needed to do it.

Zelda suddenly remembered something her grandmother had told her once when she was a small child.

"Remember, Zelda, logic and wisdom are not always the same thing."

Still, though! How was she supposed to be brave? What could she _do_ at this point to confront the dream? To learn the truth? She leapt out of her bed and got dressed, not really sure where she was going to go or what she was going to do but determined to be ready. As she hastily dressed herself in an old work-dress she'd begged off of a servant, her eyes fell onto an ocarina she kept carefully displayed on her armoire. It was a family heirloom, a beautiful blue ocarina called The Ocarina of Time. She realized all at once that Link had been playing that very same ocarina in her dream, and she thought of a way to test the veracity of the dream without even leaving her room.

* * *

Link was completely exhausted, but he kept on packing. He was getting ready for a long trip, and he needed to make sure he was prepared. He'd spent most of the night riding back to his home in Kakariko Village from the castle, and he wished not for the first time that he still had the Ocarina of Time so he could just warp wherever he wanted. Despite his late-night trip, as soon as he'd entered his small apartment, he'd started getting ready to leave again.

He wasn't going to leave Hyrule or anything, he just wanted to be as far away from Zelda as possible as soon as possible—hence the no sleeping. Maybe he'd go to the desert. He hadn't seen Nabooru in a while, and the barren landscape might be a welcome change of scenery.

The crack of knuckles on wood split the peaceful silence of the village. Someone was at the door

Too tired to even wonder who it could be, Link opened the door Standing before him in an plain blue dress, was the very woman he was running from: Zelda.

"Link! I remember! Maybe? I'm not sure…"

Zelda looked tired, bedraggled, and overwhelmed. Link had never seen her like this before. She almost seemed manic.

"What? I mean, you remember?" asked Link dumbly, too many questions trying to rush from him at once.

"The song! I remembered the song!" Zelda said, holding up a familiar blue ocarina. Link's eyes widened.

"I was here, in Kakariko Village. I was living here, but I was different. I was stronger, I always covered my face, and I was… harder. Then there was this monster that came out of the well, and you were there too Then I taught you a song to take you to the graveyard. That's what I dreamed last night. When I woke up, I decided to test the dream to see if it was true. So I played the song, and now I'm here."

Link blinked several times, too shocked to really know how to react.

"So, you remember everything?"

Zelda's face fell.

"No, just the dream. But I want to remember. Can you take me to another Great Fairy? Maybe now that I know more they'll be more forthcoming."

Link didn't know whether to laugh or to cry. A part of him honestly wanted to shut the door on her forget all of this madness. He didn't want to play the fool, vainly hoping for the impossible. He already felt ridiculous enough as it was. However, this was exactly the kind of thing he hadn't even dared to hope would happen. Wouldn't he be foolish to accept this opportunity? He still wasn't quite sure how to react—since he'd forbidden himself from hoping for this kind of situation, he had not prepared himself for its actual occurrence. Finally, he managed to force his brain to accept that Zelda remembering their alternate past was becoming an increasing likely outcome, and his heart filled with unexpected joy.

Still, he tried to hold it back. He didn't want to be disappointed so devastatingly again, and he also didn't want to spook Zelda. She was clearly feeling overwhelmed, and he needed to tread cautiously.

"Of course I can take you. We can see the Great Fairy in the castle grounds, or back go back to Death Mountain—"

"No, I can't go back to the castle. I don't know what will happen when I remember, but I want you to be there, and we can't have anyone who'd recognize me seeing us together." Link frowned a little. He did not like being reminded of his inferior status.

"That's also part of why I don't want to go to death Mountain. The guard at the gate might recognize us. Also, I'd rather see a Great Fairy I haven't seen before. I think if we do that we'll have a higher likelihood of success."

Link nodded, not entirely following her reasoning but trusting her judgment.

"OK, then, we could go to the fairy in the desert. No one will recognize you and you haven't seen her before. Unfortunately, we can't warp there like you did here. I don't think the ocarina can take two people at once. We'll have to ride."

Zelda nodded, nodding a few more times than necessary.

"OK then, let's leave now."

"You don't want to rest first?" said Link, feeling a little awkward upon realizing that she would have to sleep here, in his room, to avoid detection.

Zelda leveled her steady gaze at Link.

"Link, I've made my decision, and I need to act on it before I get scared and change my mind," Zelda said, seeming much calmer now. "Please?" She said it in that voice that Link was _certain_ she knew could make him do anything.

"Of course," Link replied. How could he refuse?

* * *

They left Kakariko Village together several hours before dawn. Zelda hadn't really brought anything with her, but Link managed to scrounge up some food and a bedroll for her. They could probably reach the Gerudo's Fortress by nightfall, but that would mean an entire day of riding, from dawn until dusk, with only the bare minimum of required breaks for Epona. Neither of them had really slept the night before, so it would be a particularly grueling day. Still, Zelda and Link both acknowledged the urgency of the situation. The longer Zelda was missing from the castle, the more difficult things would be when she returned. That was also why it was so important no one recognized them together. Link definitely did not want to be accused of kidnapping the princess.

Zelda sat behind Link on Epona, arms circled around his waist. She was clearly also drained, her body slumped against his back. They rode in silence for a good half hour before she said anything.

"Link, will you tell me what happened? I mean, I want to hear your version," she said, her voice muffled against the fabric of his tunic.

"Are you sure? Maybe you'd want to remember first, then verify with me."

"I'm sure," she said, voice still quiet.

Link paused, trying to collect the words he'd hidden away from the world for so many years. Of all the times he was called upon to do dangerous things, this might require the most courage.

"One day, when I was ten, my fairy finally arrived…"

* * *

They arrived at Gerudo Fortress about an hour after sunset. Zelda covered her face with a shawl, and they were fairly confident the Gerudo didn't care enough about Hylian royalty to recognize her behind the fabric. Link, already fairly familiar with most of the women at the fortress, led Epona right to the stable and a handler took care of her for him. Nabooru, informed of their arrival by one of the guards, arrived just as soon as Epona was taken away.

"Link! It is so good to see you again!" she clapped him on the shoulder and gave him a hearty wink. "It's especially nice to see you brought a friend." She leaned in and whispered conspiratorially, "what with how many Gerudo women you've rejected, we were wondering if you'd ever find the opposite sex interesting."

Link blushed while Zelda coughed politely, obviously not accustomed to Nabooru's sense of humor.

"It's umm… Could we stay here tonight? We'd need _separate_ rooms…"

"Oh, well that's disappointing. We can certainly accommodate both of you," she said, loud enough for them both to hear, then she leaned in again and whispered, "although if you're interested, I can make sure only one room is available."

"No need," said Link, waving his hands, speaking loud enough for Zelda to hear, "we've already eaten."

Nabooru smiled, then led them both to their rooms in the guest area of the fortress. Zelda's room was nice and spacious, while Link's was relatively cramped. He just told himself he was grateful there were two rooms instead of one. He rolled out his mat and was just about ready to welcome the oblivion of a deep sleep when Zelda crept into the room.

"Are you still awake?"

"Yeah."

She tiptoed over to his bedroll, and he sat up. As she came closer to him, he thought about all that he had told heron the ride through Hyrule Field. She hadn't said much, only listened, and for that Link was grateful. Even if she didn't believe him, it felt nice to finally tell someone. No matter what happened, he could be glad of that.

Zelda was looking down at the floor, acting uncharacteristically shy. Then she steeled herself and looked right into Link's eyes.

"I just want you to know… What you said today, about what happened… I believe you."

She leaned forward, placing a hand on his forearm, and gently pressed her lips to his. Then she got up and left.

It was barely a moment long, but for hours the softness of her lips, the subtle press of her nose against his cheek, and the caress of her delicate hand was all Link could think about. The sleep that had earlier felt so inevitable fled his mind, and he found little rest that night.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

 **This chapter is a little on the short side, but the ending felt natural, and I didn't want to extend it if it would feel awkward. Hopefully this means Chapter 11 will come out sooner.** **J** **This chapter was a little difficult because of how emotional it is. Link has always been a very stoic person in my mind, so I worry that I might have made him a little too emotional in the last couple of chapters. Let me know if it still feels in-character to you. Also (shameless self-promotion) if you enjoy this story, I wrote a BOTW one-shot that you might also enjoy. It is called "Reticence." Look it up if you're interested! UPDATE 4/3/2017 – CHAPTER LENGTHENED WITH ADDITIONL DETAILS**

 ***also please let me know if the last line is too cheesy ***

Zelda almost cried with relief when she saw the monolithic Desert Colossus through the thick sand whipping through the air. Link knew how to navigate the hostile desert, but that didn't make their passage easy. To avoid being separated in the fierce, blinding wind, Link had maintained a vicelike grip on Zelda's hand throughout their entire journey. Zelda would have enjoyed his proximity if it weren't for the stress of the situation.

"It's near the Desert Colossus, right?" Zelda could see the vague outline of a large building off in the distance, and her breath caught in her throat as the gigantic stone woman's features gradually emerged from the chaos. If only she had been here on a more leisurely academic expedition, she could have studied the building in detail and teased out all of its secrets. It was magnificent.

"Yes," Link replied. "We're nearly there. Do you think you can make it?"

"I can make it," she said, squeezing his hand to assure him she meant it.

As they neared the Desert Colossus, the winds calmed and the sands settled. Zelda let out a sigh of relief and breathed in a big gulp of sand-free air. She plopped herself indelicately on the ground, in desperate need of a rest.

"We can't stop here," said Link apologetically, "There are sand leevers everywhere."

He reached a hand down to help her up, and she took it reluctantly. He looked at her, clear concern on his honest features as he tried to judge for himself if she had the energy to complete their journey.

"How much farther?" Zelda asked, hoping she would be up to the task.

"Do you see that cliff over there, with the two palm trees?" Link said, pointing towards a rock face off to the right of the Desert Colossus. Zelda noticed the twin trees and nodded. It didn't look too far. Link didn't ask her if she could make it or not—he probably didn't view stopping as an option at this point.

"We'll walk towards it until the leevers attack. When I say run, we need to sprint over there. Follow my lead, and don't let go of my hand."

Zelda swallowed thickly and braced herself. They walked slowly towards the cliffside, Zelda now grasping Link's hand tightly out of nerves instead of necessity. They had made it about halfway to the trees when Zelda heard a strange whirring noise and caught a flash of green out of the corner of her eye.

"Run!"

They dashed towards the trees, Link pulling her along to compensate for her shorter stride. As they neared the trees, Link let go of her hand.

"Stay back," he said, pulling a bomb out of his bag and setting it in front of the cliff face between the two trees. He lit the fuse, and ran back to where Zelda was standing outside of the blast radius. The bomb exploded, revealing a passage through the rock just like the passage to the Great Fairy on Death Mountain.

Link motioned towards the passageway with his head.

"Go on."

"Aren't you coming too?"

Link shook his head.

"I… you're going to learn a lot of things about yourself and about me… I think it's better this way."

Zelda frowned, but what he said made sense. Zelda couldn't quite bring herself to regret kissing him the night before, but it had been rash. She couldn't be sure that she'd feel the same way about him after recovering her memories, but it had felt important to show to him that she believed him before seeing proof.

Regardless, he was right that she might want some time by herself to process her memories before seeing him.

"You'll be waiting for me then?"

"Yes, I'll be right outside."

Link looked uncertain for a moment, then he stepped towards her and pulled her into a quick hug.

"If you want me here I'll be here," he said.

He released her, then turned back to face the desert, unsheathing his sword presumably to fend off any particularly aggressive leevers. Looking back at him as he held his sword out at the ready, eyes scanning the desert for any potential threats, he truly looked like a man blessed with the courage of Farore. Now, it was Zelda's turn to be brave. She gathered up her courage, and entered the cave.

* * *

Zelda felt her way through the dark passage, eventually reaching a familiar, large room lit with elegant stone torches.

She pulled out the blue ocarina that had, in many ways, prompted this journey. If the instrument had not transported her to Kakariko Village, she never would have asked Link to take her here. If Link's story was true, without the Ocarina she never could have sent Link back in time, or even opened the Sacred Realm in the first place. She held the Ocarina of Time to her lips and played the song that had ushered in her sleep each night of her youth.

The Great Fairy emerged from her fountain in a fit of wild laughter, then seated herself archly in the air above Zelda. Her eyebrows rose as she appeared to recognize her guest.

"Your Highness, my sisters told me I might be seeing you. What is it you seek?"

Zelda had rehearsed this bit, and she recited faithfully her planned response.

"I know I have lost memories from an alternate history. I have remembered bits and pieces, but I wish for you to restore my memories completely."

The Great Fairy stroked her chin thoughtfully.

"Why do you need to know this? None of the things you'll remember are relevant to the world in which you now live. What do you possibly have to gain?"

The Great Fairy's question really gave Zelda pause. Why _did_ she need to know this? Part of the reason she wanted to know was simply to slake her own curiosity. She had a pathological need to _know_ things, but she doubted the Great Fairy would find that to be a compelling reason.

"I need to know because I need to understand my own potential—what I'm capable of. I also need to know because I can feel that this past is a part of me. I've always felt the pull of a great role I was never called upon to fulfill, and I feel these memories would reveal that role."

The Great Fairy nodded slowly.

"Is there anything else?"

Zelda hesitated, not sure how much she wanted to share with this mysterious being. Still, she didn't have much of a choice.

"There is also the matter of… the Hero of Time," Zelda said, voice trailing off. The Great Fairy's eyebrows rose even higher. Zelda continued.

"If what he says is true, he sacrificed his childhood to protect Hyrule, and not a single person in Hyrule knows to whom they owe their freedom. I believe it would lift a great burden from him if at least one person knew."

The Great Fairy nodded, her solemn expression looking out-of-place on such a fantastical creature.

"My sisters do not all think you should regain your memories, but luckily for you, you've convinced me. However, I must remind you that there may be unforeseen consequences in your decision today. Are you certain you wish to proceed?"

Zelda almost faltered at the fairy's ominous words. She was taking a big step into the unknown, who knew what would happen next? Then she remembered Link, waiting for her outside, facing the desert alone. She needed to be brave.

"I am certain."

The Great Fairy nodded again, as if that was the answer she had expected.

"As you wish, I will restore your memories. Prepare yourself, princess. You cannot take this back!"

The Great Fairy raised her arms and brought her hands together, then lowered them to point at Zelda. Zelda felt a rush of wind that almost caused her to step back, then she felt a curious mental pressure build in her head, growing and growing until it suddenly burst and released an avalanche of memories. She let out a gasp and lost all awareness of where she was.

She remembered everything. She remembered the things Link had told her: meeting Link in the castle courtyard, fleeing the castle with Impa after Ganondorf's coup, being captured by Ganondorf, and later freed by Link. She remembered teaching him the songs, helping him identify the sages, and showing him the temples. She remembered how good it had felt to feel _useful_ to her people.

But she also remembered other things he hadn't mentioned. She remembered her father's final words to her, telling her to follow Impa and flee the castle, begging her to stay safe. She remembered crying alone on her first birthday in hiding, wearing strange Sheikah clothing and living in isolation. She remembered pushing her body each day to become more capable, wanting desperately to be helpful to her kingdom when the time came. She remembered the terror she'd felt when she was captured by Ganondorf, but also her disappointment with herself for failing in her goal to never be a liability. She also remembered the triumph of Ganondorf's defeat, and Link's subsequent departure. Eventually, the memories stopped.

Zelda lay on the ground, trying to recover from the intense experience. When she became aware once again of her surroundings, she saw that the Great Fairy was gone. With some effort, she lifted herself off the ground and staggered out of the room. She probably shouldn't have moved, but all she could think was that she didn't want to leave Link waiting for her.

As the dark of the cavern gave way to the blinding heat of the desert, Zelda was able to make out Link's silhouette in the distance. She stumbled towards it, and the Link-shaped blob made some kind of noise and rushed towards her. As the blob's shape became more distinct, Zelda could hear Link's voice, sounding quite alarmed, calling out to her, but she couldn't quite understand what it was saying. Whether it was due to mental exhaustion from experiencing seven years of memories in a short period of time or due to physical exhaustion from consistent lack of sleep, she passed out right then and there.

* * *

Link reached Zelda just as she fell to the ground, and caught her before impact.

"Zelda? Zelda? Are you OK?"

Link was panicking, the thought of losing Zelda just as the possibility of finding her again was so tantalizingly close was unbearable. He may have lived many years without her in his life, but simply knowing that she was out there somewhere in the world had grounded him. He didn't think he'd know who he was without her as a reference point.

He checked her pulse, and was relieved to feel it strong and consistent under his hand. Her temperature also seemed normal. She probably just needed to rest, and if they'd had time to wait there until she felt better, everything would have been fine. Unfortunately, they could not afford to simply stay in this hostile environment. Not entirely sure he had the energy to perform the feat, but left with few options, Link hoisted Zelda over his shoulder and headed back towards the Gerudo Fortress.

Link forced himself to focus on getting safely to the fortress. In truth, the imminent danger was almost a welcome distraction. It kept him from going mad wondering if Zelda had regained her memories or not. Unfortunately, the welcome distraction soon turned hostile, and as he forced his exhausted limbs to carry her through the swirling desert sands, he began to lose his grip on reality. He imagined the sands held her memories captive, and if he could just find his way through them, they would be returned to her. He seemed to hear voices on the wind, mocking him for his vanity and hopeless desires.

 _You were fated to be forgotten. Do not try to fight destiny._

 _Her memories will not make her love you, you fool._

 _It is pure vanity to seek for recognition._

Recognizing that he was starting to lose it, he gritted his teeth and pressed forward, ignoring the taunting phantoms that circled about. He focused on the heft of Zelda's body on his shoulder, on the pain in his feet, and on the ache in his back, letting these concrete realities chase away the specters.

Link eventually made it back to the Gerudo Fortress. He had hoped that at some point Zelda would wake up, both so that she could walk to relieve his tired feet, and so she could anchor him more firmly inn reality, but she remained stubbornly unconscious throughout. Link probably would not have managed to pull through without some fervent prayers to Farore and the help of one of his precious bottled fairies.

The guards at the gate of the fortress saw him coming from a way off, and they rushed out to the desert to help him as he staggered towards safety. He assured them that he and Zelda were not injured and just needed a place to rest, and they took Zelda from his arms and led him back to their rooms. Although Link knew he also needed to rest, he couldn't bring himself to be separated from Zelda. He sat on the floor next to her bed in her room, falling in and out of consciousness but not allowing himself to fall asleep completely. He needed to see Zelda awake before he could let himself sleep. He needed to know if she was OK; he needed to know if she remembered.

Time seemed to stretch and shrink with each heavy blink of his eyelids, and he wasn't sure how much time had passed when he finally felt Zelda stir.

"Link?" she said, her voice hoarse from having just woken up. She had sat up a little in her bed, her back now resting against the headboard.

"Yes?" he said, somehow finding the energy to sit up and lean towards her. He reached across her lap and took of one her dainty hands in his, waiting for her to speak. He didn't allow himself to think anything, only waited.

Zelda gave him a weak smile, then continued, her voice still quiet but firm.

"When I first met you, I was surprised by how young you were. I had been expecting the hero to be in his late teens or twenties, and there you were—only ten years old just like me. But I knew from the moment I saw you. I never doubted you were the chosen hero."

Link's breath caught in his throat.

"Impa doubted you, but she trusted me. When you returned with the spiritual stones, she was surprised, but I wasn't. I always knew you could do it."

An indescribably feeling of relief rushed through him, and he felt so light he might float away. She continued, each word like a gift from the goddesses themselves.

"I was so relieved when I saw you after you woke up in the Temple of Time. We knew you were supposed to wake up in seven years, but I was always terrified something would go wrong—that you would never wake up. Nothing like this had ever happened before, you see, and seven years is such a terribly long time to wait. You have no idea how happy I was to see you."

It had been over seven years since Link had either spoken or heard a word of these events, these events that had shaped his very being in such substantial ways. It was as though Zelda's words unlocked a key part of himself that even he had forgotten was there. Link's iron grip on his emotions broke, his head fell into Zelda's lap, and he wept.

Zelda's raised a gentle hand to his head and stroked his hair soothingly. There was not an ounce of judgment or rejection in her manner—no hint of hesitation evident in her touch. Link felt that, finally, there was someone who could understand him. Still sitting on the ground, he reached his arms around Zelda's waist and rested his head against her torso. One of her hands moved to his arm, and the other continued running tapered fingers through his hair.

"Sending you back in time was the hardest thing I'd ever done," Zelda said, her voice breaking slightly. "I'm so glad that I get you back."

Neither spoke another word, but they held each other until they finally succumbed to exhaustion. Like two travelers adrift in time who had finally found a companion, they were unwilling to be separated.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

 **AUTHOR'S NOTE: A longer chapter for you all this week! I also reuploaded chapter 9 and 10 to try and even out the pacing, and may soon update chapter 8 as well. I received a couple of comments that some of the recent chapters felt rushed, so I tried to put in more details and context to make it read smoother. There are no significant plot changes, though.**

 **I also realized that I make Link and Zelda are tired all the time. Maybe that's my own recent life bleeding into the story :p. Thanks so much for all of your reviews. I really appreciate it!**

Link woke feeling like he'd been asleep for years (a feeling with which he was unfortunately quite familiar). He rubbed his eyes blearily only to discover that someone had moved him back to his own room while he slept. He was lying in his own small bed in the Gerudo Fortress, surrounded by the dusky brown stone walls ubiquitous to the fort. As he looked through the sun-brightened dusty air around him, he realized that that same mystery person had removed his boots and placed all of his belongings in a neat pile at the foot of his bed.

"I see you're finally awake."

Link started as he noticed for the first time Nabooru was also in the room, leaning one foot casually against the closed door. He sat up and rubbed his head, still a little disoriented from his deep sleep.

"You almost gave me a heart attack yesterday! The guards told me you looked half dead! And that woman was unconscious. Thankfully it wasn't anything too serious, but I'm disappointed. I thought you knew how to take care of yourself in the desert, or else I never would have opened the gate for you. Nabooru folded her arms severely and looked down at Link with a frown.

"Sorry" croaked out Link, holding his unbearably heavy head in his hands.

Nabooru sighed.

"Well you're both OK, so all's well that ends well I suppose. That's not the real problem."

Link remained silent as Nabooru pushed off her perch on the door and walked closer to Link, her gaze even more imposing due to the extreme angle. Link waited for her to speak. He didn't have the energy to try and figure out what she meant.

"I received an urgent message from the King Daphnes of Hyrule yesterday, saying that his daughter was missing and asking anyone who might have seen her to send him word."

Nabooru paused, watching Link's face carefully for a reaction. Link was lucky his grogginess masked most of his dismay.

"You wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you?"

"I, uh… I don't know…" Link said unconvincingly.

"Link, you've been a good friend to the Gerudo, and I don't feel any particular loyalty to King Daphnes. But don't put me in a position where I have to explain to the King why I withheld information about his precious daughter's whereabouts."

"I won't. I uh… I have a feeling the princess will get back to the castle very soon."

Nabooru gave Link a long, hard look narrowing her eyes at him calculatingly.

"I'm glad to hear it."

Nabooru turned and left Link alone in the room, his head spinning.

Last night had been a dream. Holding Zelda close to him, having them both remember their experiences together—it had been heaven. He felt like every unspoken prayer he'd offered to Farore had been granted. He felt unworthy of such a rich blessing. Hence, he had almost expected the wakeup call Nabooru delivered this morning. Today, he had to wake up. Zelda was the princess, she needed to get back to her world, and Link would return to his.

Link needed to get things sorted out in his head. Zelda did remember their quest to defend the Triforce, but Zelda still could not be with him in any sort of… romantic sense. Somehow, the second item had seemed like a possibility in the past few days, but it wasn't possible, and it never had been. Link really needed to get that through his thick skull. Just having Zelda get her memory back was miracle enough, and Link needed to be happy with that.

For now, his first priority would be getting Zelda back to Hyrule Castle. He didn't want to make trouble for Nabooru, and he certainly didn't want to be accused of treason. He willed himself to get out of bed, gathered his things, and left to find Zelda.

* * *

When Zelda woke, she immediately mourned the absence of soft blond hair under her fingers. Link was gone, but she was still lying in the same low bed, her warm, coarse blanket pulled up to her chin.

She sighed heavily and rolled over towards the wall, closing herself in as much as possible to create the kind of claustrophobic space that was at once stifling and comforting. She felt strange. Recovering her memories had been valuable, she certainly didn't regret it, but it had also been disorienting.

Zelda—the Zelda from the other timeline—was definitely her, but she was also quite different. She was tougher, harder, more serious. She understood loss and sacrifice much more deeply than Zelda did, and she was practical in the extreme. Zelda could feel herself changing as she internalized the memories—she was becoming more like the other Zelda. She knew, though, that she'd always be different. She'd had her own seven years of experiences that had shaped her, after all. And while she remembered the other Zelda's memories, she hadn't exactly experienced them. She also didn't have to continue living with the heavy losses the other woman had suffered: her father, her friends at the castle, her childhood.

Zelda decided, as strange as it was, she was glad to be changing; to be influenced by the other Zelda. She was still herself, just fuller. More informed. Still, it would take some getting used to. She was looking forward to working through all of it with Link.

She had so much thinking to do! Aside from the very unique identity crisis she was dealing with, she also needed to figure out how to get back to the castle and what to do about Link. The recovery of her memories was all she wanted to think about, but she really needed to return to her father as soon as possible. That had to take priority.

Zelda suddenly felt guilty for thinking about Link as something she had to deal with. He wasn't a _problem_ she needed to solve. He was the Hero of Time, and worthy of her utmost respect. Still, their situation _was_ problematic. There was both the issue of her getting back to the castle without her father having a conniption fit, and the issue of finding a way to see Link again. She had only just truly come to know what he meant to her, and she unwilling to accept the possibility of living as strangers again.

Just then, the subject of her musings burst through the door of her room, causing Zelda to nearly jump out of her skin.

"We need to get back to the castle," Link said, out of breath. He was wearing his trademark tunic, as always, and it seemed he hadn't found a bath since their journey through the desert the previous day. He was coated with a thick layer of dust, and he looked thoroughly disheveled. Zelda looked down and noticed a similar layer of grime on her own clothing, and supposed she was in no position to judge.

She smiled at his frantic appearance, seeing a little bit of the ten-year-old hero she'd first met.

"Yes. The sooner I return the better," Zelda said coolly, finding that she now seemed more able to keep her head in stressful situations. She mentally thanked the other Zelda.

"Zelda, your father has sent out messengers looking for information on your whereabouts."

Zelda folder her hands carefully in her lap, and her mouth turned slightly downwards.

"Well, that is unfortunate, but not wholly unexpected."

She carefully slid her legs out from under the blanket and placed her feet on the floor, sighing heavily.

"We will leave immediately. I am sorry to have to put you in this situation, Link. I fear I… have not been myself these last few days."

It was true. Zelda, usually impassive and calculating, had been uncharacteristically impulsive ever since she had run into Link outside of the gatehouse only days earlier. Or rather, to own the truth she hadn't been quite herself ever since she'd first met him. Whether that was because she had somehow sensed their unknown past together or for some other reason she did not know. Whatever the reason, she was glad of it. If she hadn't behaving somewhat out of character, she never would have regained her memories. Now, however, she needed her calm, steady self back.

"I can't take you all the way back to Castle Town, but perhaps we could ride together to just outside the gate. We'd have to be careful to avoid being spotted by patrols, though…" Link trailed off, mind racing to optimize their journey for speed and secrecy. Although she understood his reasons, Zelda couldn't help but feel a little bruised that he was so focused on getting rid of her. Had he been affected at all by their time together the night before? She was a little disturbed to realize that, now that she knew him better, he was more capable of hurting her.

"I think I should simply play the Prelude of Light. Then you wouldn't have to go anywhere near the castle, and I will be back as soon as possible."

Link nodded seriously. "Oh, yes of course," he said. He shifted weight from foot to foot awkwardly, then reached to pick up her pack and hand it to her. "You should get going. The king will worry."

Zelda took the pack from his hands, only allowing her features to tighten slightly.

"Hero," she said, cool as ice. "Will I see you again?"

Link, who had focused his gaze on the pack in her hands, glanced up into her eyes. As stoic as his face was, she thought she saw sadness there.

"I don't see how."

Zelda felt the bruise on her heart twinge painfully, and it drew forth her anger. Her anger came out frigid in her voice.

"So. You will disrupt my life completely and take me all the way to this goddess-forsaken desert to recover my memories, only to leave forever? Was this all just about your ego? You just wanted someone to know what a great hero you are?"

Link's eyes widened, and it occurred to Zelda that with her increased knowledge, she now also had the ability to hurt him more as well. His expression froze like he'd been slapped, and he took several halting steps backwards.

"I… I never…"

Zelda immediately regretted her harsh words. She knew now from her memories that Link did not easily open up to people, and if she reacted poorly now it could do lasting damage to their relationship.

"Link, I'm sorry. I didn't mean that, I just… Don't you _want_ to see me again?" allowing some vulnerability to enter her voice. That might be the only way to keep him from closing up.

Link, still withdrawn from her attack, replied in a quiet voice.

"Of course I do. But I think it's time I remember my place."

"Your place as the Hero of Time? The Savior of Hyrule?"

Link looked at the ground, shuffling his feet, clearly uncomfortable with such lofty titles. Zelda wondered briefly if that discomfort was the result of natural modesty or the result of years of self-conditioning to never expect such accolades.

"You and I might know that, but nobody else does. What would your father think if I knocked on the front gate of the castle to call on you?"

Zelda smiled.

"Well then, I guess you'll have to use a different gate."

Link blanched, clearly scandalized. It was amazing how he could face down undead beasts and ancient demons, but mere mortals were such a challenge.

"That wouldn't be proper."

Zelda fell silent. In all honesty, if Link didn't get too caught up on propriety (which it seemed like he might), it wouldn't necessarily be _too_ difficult to see each other again. But… that wasn't enough. Was Link thinking the same thing she was? That she didn't want to just see him again? She wanted to talk with him over her recovered memories—find out what he had been thinking during the long night of Ganondorf's rule. She wanted to be free to see him whenever they wanted. She didn't want anybody to be able to tell them they couldn't be around each other. She thought back to their two nights in Gerudo Fortress, and her bold actions, and blushed. She still didn't really know how Link felt, or even how she herself felt, but she wanted to be able to walk down that path and discover where it led.

But that was too distant a goal. Link was right—from where they stood now it seemed impossible. They had done the impossible before, though, right? She didn't see a clear way forward, but at the very least they could take small steps. Being in the same place—that would have to be a start.

"When you left the castle, did you formally resign from the castle guard?" she asked finally, breaking the thick silence between them.

"Yes."

Hmm. That would make things more difficult.

"Well… perhaps you could join back…? If you wanted to…" her voice trailed off, suddenly feeling exposed. She felt both that she was revealing too much and asking too much.

Link looked up at her through his long bangs.

"I think I will."

Zelda let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding in.

"…Then I'll see you soon. I'll find a way to talk with you, I promise."

Link nodded.

Zelda needed to go, but she didn't want this to be their goodbye. She wasn't sure when she'd get another chance, so she wanted to hold him before she left, but her pride wouldn't let her. She had come to find him at his house in the middle of the night, she had kissed him just the other day—she wanted him to make the next boundary-pushing move. Zelda waited for a long moment, tense with anticipation, but Link did nothing. Disappointed, Zelda pulled the Ocarina of Time out of her pack and slung the pack over her shoulder. As the final notes of the Prelude of Light floated through the air, Link finally spoke. She barely caught his words as she was taken away in a bright beam of light.

"Take care, Princess Zelda."

* * *

"Are you kidding me Link?" Captain Ado's anger-filled voice echoed through the armory where Link had found him. "You leave with only some pathetic scrap of paper as notice and then expect to be taken back days later?"

After Zelda returned to the castle, Link had headed back to Kakariko Village to gather his things and take a long afternoon getting the fine desert sand out of his clothes and person. Never one to dawdle, he went back to the castle the very next day, prepared to beg and grovel his way back into the castle guard.

"Sir, I had a family emergency. I didn't think it would be resolved so quickly, but it was. I sincerely apologize and humbly request to be accepted back into your service."

Link was surprised by how easily the lie came to his lips. Perhaps it was because he was beginning to see Zelda as family. Perhaps it was because he found it easier to do difficult things if it was for her sake.

Captain Ado tapped his toe angrily against the stone floor, frustration suiting his ruddy face and stocky frame better than his usual cheerful demeanor. Link thought it was a good sign. If he was just going to kick Link out, he would have done it already.

"You're lucky we're short on guards—especially guards as skilled as you are," he said finally, clearly annoyed that he needed Link. "You get the night shift for the next month. Every night."

Link winced, but nodded. In all honesty, this was probably the best outcome he could have hoped for. That didn't mean he looked forward to it.

Captain Ado saw the wince and sighed, clapping Link on the shoulder.

"Look, Link. I like you. Well, I don't like you much right now, but I'm sure I'll get over it. This punishment will help with that. Now go get your uniform back from the quartermaster and move back into your room. Your first shift starts at the ninth bell tonight."

Link was about to leave and do as he said when Ado stopped him with a hand on his shoulder.

"And Link, be extra vigilant tonight. Some of the guards have reported seeing strange lights coming from the east these past few nights."

Link nodded, not overly concerned about what his fellow guards thought they saw in the dead of the night, then obediently left to pick up his uniform and armor from the quartermaster. Official equipment retrieved, he moved his few belongings back into his old room, which conveniently had not been filled by another recruit during his absence. He stepped outside of the barracks and caught sight of Gad oiling his armor outside of his own room. Gad's warm face lit up at the sight of him.

"Link! You're back! I thought you'd up and quit on us," he said, ever jovial.

"Yeah, it was a misunderstanding…" he said, not really wanting to lie any more than he had to about his departure.

"Sure, I heard from Captain Ado. Well, I'm just glad you're back. You're more fun to tease than the other guys. It's always the quiet ones who blush the hardest," he said, slapping Link on the back. Link wasn't quite sure if he liked that thought.

"Gad, I'm sorry to ask but I've got the night shift tonight. Will you be awake before the ninth bell? Could you wake me up?" Link was exhausted, and he'd never been great at waking up on time. He hadn't adjusted to the night shift sleep cycle yet, and he really didn't want to give Captain Ado any more reasons to be unhappy with him.

"Sure, sure. I'll try and get you up, although I'll have you know it's not easy. You sleep the sleep of the dead, my friend."

"Thank you," Link said, glad to see his friend again. He was about to head back to the barracks to get as much sleep as possible before his shift when Gad spoke again.

"Oh yes, and you missed all of the best royal gossip! Taio and I can catch you up on it later."

Link paused. He really wanted to know how Zelda's father had reacted to her disappearance and subsequent return.

"Oh? What happened?"

Gad looked up from his armor in surprise—he clearly hadn't expected the usually quiet young guard to be drawn into a conversation about court gossip.

"Well! It was this whole scandal! Princess Zelda disappeared for two days! Some people think it may have been longer, but the king was trying to keep it all hush hush until he got desperate. She just disappeared, and some folk were afraid she was kidnapped. But then two days later she appears ot of the blue right in Castle Town, all covered in mud and dust and looking like hell. Err…" Gad paused, "looking like _royal_ hell," he corrected.

"The king had been _sure_ she was kidnapped, but she said she just wanted to be alone for a little and snuck out of the castle to take a walk through Hyrule Field. She got lost, so it took her some time to get back to the castle."

"Huh," said Link, making interested noises to encourage Gad to share any additional tidbits.

Gad stopped for a moment, looking as if he were trying to decide if he should pass along this next piece of scuttlebutt or not. Link was surprised—it must be pretty juicy if Gad was considering exercising restraint. Gad leaned in closer conspiratorially.

" _Some_ people in the castle are saying the princess actually snuck out of the castle to see a lover, and the whole coming-back-looking-like-hell thing is just a ruse."

Link tried not to let any emotion aside from innocent curiosity show on his face.

"Why would they think that?" he asked calmly. "She doesn't seem like the kind of person who would do that."

"The kind of person who would do what? Have feelings? A lass who's a princess is still a lass," Gad scoffed. "I don't know how seriously people take these rumors. I just know the maids in the castle told me the princess seems different lately. Distracted. Like she has her head in the clouds. She's normally pretty serious, see?"

Link tried to control the flush he could feel rising in his cheeks, and told himself the princess' altered mood couldn't possibly be due to him.

"Link, I have to go to my shift, but I'll be back to wake you, ok?" Gad said, packing away his oils and getting ready to leave. "And we can talk more about your royal admirer later," he said with a wink.

Link nodded, then headed back to his own room to sleep, thoughts still swirling about his "royal admirer".

* * *

Night found Link on the west upper ramparts, leaning on his spear and struggling to stay awake. It was only the tenth bell. Most of the inhabitants of the castle hadn't even gone to sleep yet, and he was fighting to keep his eyelids up. Link sighed. It seemed these days a full night's sleep was a rare commodity.

He was staring up into the moon not thinking about anything in particular when he heard footsteps in the courtyard below. He looked down and saw Zelda with one of her ladies-in-waiting, heading off in the direction of Zelda's quarters. Link was too tired to keep himself from staring.

She was dressed in a silky white dress, a pale pink sash falling elegantly down the middle. The dress looked remarkably like the one Link had seen her wear when she had been captured by Ganondorf, if a little plainer. Seeing her wear it now made Link feel small and distant. During their journey to see the Great Fairy, Zelda had seemed so approachable. She had been wearing plain clothing, and she hadn't been adorned with any of the trappings of royalty. She had spoken more casually, and she had not felt constrained by all of the more formal rules of etiquette she followed so religiously in the castle. Now, Link was forcibly reminded of their differences. She was once again an unattainable, ethereal beauty, and Link started to doubt his rejoining of the guard.

Just as these thoughts passed through his mind, Zelda happened to look up towards the ramparts, and their eyes locked. They stared into each other's eyes for a long moment before Link frantically broke contact, looking about frantically for anything else to distract him from the princess' gaze. By the time he dared look back down into the courtyard, she had disappeared.

* * *

Link was jolted from his sleep by hands grasping his shoulders firmly and giving them a good shake.

"Shouldn't you be awake?" came a reproachful voice right by his ear.

He gasped in surprise and nearly jumped out of his boots, whirling to confront his accuser. He was even more surprised to find a person dressed in tight-fitting black clothing, a dark shawl covering her face. It was Zelda, dressed in an approximation of her old Sheik disguise.

"Your highness," he sputtered, "what are you doing here?"

She ducked down below the parapet and pulled him down next to her. He couldn't see her mouth, but he could tell from the wrinkles around her eyes that she was frowning.

"Don't call me that! Do you want to give me away?"

"I… I'm sorry. Isn't this a little reckless though?"

Zelda shrugged.

"I suppose. I'm a lot better at sneaking around now, after recovering my memories. I think I could get away undetected if need be."

Link let out a long breath, trying to calm his racing heart. He took off his helmet, setting it on the ground next to him.

"You really surprised me. I'm on thin ice with the captain. He might kick me out if he catches me sleeping."

Zelda pulled the shawl down a little, exposing her whole face, and looked up at him with large mirror eyes.

"Well then I'll just have to keep you awake."

Link could feel his face flush, and was glad that the weak moonlight didn't expose his embarrassment. They were crouched close together by the parapet, and he couldn't help but notice her figure in her tight-fitting clothing. She looked a lot like Sheik had, although since she wasn't trying to pass as a man she hadn't bothered to tie down her chest. Link berated himself for noticing something like that, and look away towards the parapet opposite them. He clutched at his spear with both hands and focused on the cool night breeze washing over him instead of the warm, feminine body at his side.

"So it looks like you got back into the guard easily enough," Zelda said.

"I don't know if I'd call it easy. I have night shift for the next month."

"Then I can come visit you every night?"

Link's breath hitched.

"Uhhh," he said, scratching behind his head awkwardly.

"You're right. Every night would probably be pushing our luck."

They both fell silent. Link didn't really know what they were supposed to do now, but he felt a deep sense of contentment. Just being around Zelda—knowing that she knew who he was and what he had experienced and feeling her acceptance—felt like home.

Zelda turned towards Link and graced him with one of her gentle smiles.

"Link, I wanted to talk to you about something."

"OK."

Zelda looked down and fiddled with the fingers she had woven together as her arms hugged her knees to her chest.

"I know you are upset about me sending you back in time. That night, after we came down from Death Mountain, when you had that bad dream. That's what you were thinking about, right?"

"It doesn't matter. It's not like we can change anything," said Link, feeling a little abashed at how upset he'd been with her.

"It _does_ matter. And I just thought… I thought that you should know why I did it. I wasn't trying to get rid of you. I just felt incredibly guilty that you'd been robbed of so many years of your life… And all because of my foolishness. Those years—from ten to seventeen—I lived them, and I know how important they are for… for the rest of your life. I couldn't take that from you."

Link didn't really know what to say. What she was saying made sense. It was what he had always figured had been her reasoning. Her words now… it sounded as though she was trying to convince him that she had been right all along, and that simply wasn't something he'd ever agree with. Zelda seemed to read his thoughts.

"I was wrong, of course." She placed a hand on his arm, and he tensed under her touch. "I… I really do think it was worth it for you to get those seven years back, but I was wrong to make that decision for you. I think… At the time, I was so used to making important decisions by myself. Impa thought it essential that I learn to trust my own judgment—to truly act as the bearer of the Triforce of Wisdom. In general, that attitude served me well, but in this instance it led me to disregard your thoughts and feelings. It was wrong of me, and I apologize."

Link felt the tension that had been building in him release at her words. He hadn't even realized that he'd needed this apology, but he was grateful now it had arrived. He shrugged his shoulders, not revealing how meaningful her words truly were to him.

"I'm just glad we were able to meet again. I didn't think I'd ever get the chance to talk to you again."

Zelda nodded in agreement. "Thankfully the goddesses saw fit to allow us to meet again—to allow me to remember."

She leaned her head against his shoulder, and any lingering hurt feelings Link may have still harbored evaporated. For a long moment, he remained completely still, as though she were a bird that would fly away if he made the slightest movement. When it became clear that her head was not moving from his shoulder any time soon, he set his spear down on the ground and turned his body slightly towards her.

The parapet in front of them blocked any view of Hyrule Field they might be interested in, but Link didn't much care. The cool night air felt pleasant on his skin, the night sky above glittered with stars, and the most beautiful woman in the world sat next to him in companionable silence. Surprising himself with his own daring, he placed a hand on her knee, and she did not shy away from his touch. The knee itself was not particularly sensual—it was a bony, angular thing—but the _concept_ of it… That he had dared to lay a finger on her royal personage, and that she allowed him that intimacy…

She shifted her head, nuzzling further into him and moving her face closer to his. He knew she couldn't possibly be comfortable—the shoulder on which she was leaning was encased in unyielding metal armor. It occurred to Link that she just wanted to be closer to him, that she _wanted_ him to touch her. Always obedient to his princess, he also tilted his head closer to hers, his thoughts going fuzzier and fuzzier the more tightly they were entwined. After some hesitant initial contact, his mouth finally found hers.

Link had kissed before. Throughout his teens, girls had at times found him nice and attractive, and he had felt the same in return. He had indulged in the opportunities that had presented themselves, but none of these relationships had been particularly serious, either physically or emotionally. Link suspected that this may have had something to do with Zelda, but he couldn't be sure. Regardless, Link did not consider himself _experienced_ per se, but this was not new ground for him.

Zelda seemed less experienced, her lips relatively stiff and unresponsive under his. He was afraid for a moment that her response was based on disinterest rather than nerves, but the way her hand reached up to his neck and the way she trembled in his arms allayed his fears. The knowledge that she had rarely if ever been kissed before sent a thrill through though Link's stomach. He wanted desperately for her to enjoy it. He reached one hand around her waist, and the other he raised to her cheek. He stroked her cheek soothingly with his thumb as he kissed her gently, and she gradually learned the rhythm of it. Their kiss was long, slow, and comfortable, and neither of them wanted it to end.

After some unknown but lengthy quantity of time, Zelda suddenly jerked away from Link and shuffled awkwardly further down the rampart. She was clearly trying to move as quickly as possible while keeping hidden behind the parapet, resulting in a strange crab-like movement.

"Someone's coming," she whispered, and Link realized he could hear footsteps too. He resisted the urge to swear as he hastily put his helmet on and grabbed his spear, using it to hoist himself upright. Behind him, he heard the distinctive crack of a deku nut, and he knew if he looked back towards Zelda she would no longer be there.

Link staggered to his feet and stood in a way he hoped suggested that he'd been standing in that exact position for hours. No sooner had he stood up than a familiar soldier appeared from the gatehouse onto the ramparts, heading right towards him.

"Link," Taio said, a grumpy expression gracing his features, "I'm here to relieve you. Captain Ado said he wanted you to have a short shift tonight since you haven't slept much."

"Oh, wow," Link said, thoroughly surprised at the Captain's mercy. "Thank you, Taio."

"Don't thank me, Link. I expect you to pay me back one way or another," he grinned, his sour mood not quite strong enough to repress his genial nature.

"I certainly will," said Link, clapping Taio on the shoulder. "Now I'm going to go to sleep. I'm dead on my feet."

Link beat a hasty retreat to the barracks, offering fervent thanks to Farore that he could sleep and that he and Zelda had not been discovered.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

* * *

 **Another chapter! Sorry this one took longer to write—work has been a little crazy lately. Thank you so much for the reviews and favorites! Every review brings me lots of joy :)** **. To show my appreciation, I'm going to start responding to some of the reviews on recent chapters.**

 **Sidus Alatus: I'm glad I managed to surprise you! What direction did you think the story would take?**

 **Undertario: There will still be at least a couple more chapters, and maybe an epilogue of some kind :0**

 **Minutmaidman: Thanks! I think I started this story wanting it to mostly just be a sweet and simple relationship story, but as it got longer I recognized there needed to be more plot besides that. I guess that's just something I needed to learn as an author *shrugs* But I hope you like the direction the plot is taking.**

 **Alexzander95: I think there will be two or three more chapters… not a ton, but you know, a good chunk of reading. Of course, that could always change. I know in my head what's going to happen at the end, but since I haven't thoroughly outlined it or anything it could take longer than I expect.**

 **Ai Star: I wouldn't say it's all quite worked out yet!**

 **Stylin80: I'm trying to make it less rushed now. Is the pacing working better for you?**

* * *

Zelda didn't get to see Link again for longer than she'd hoped. He was, after all, on the night shift every night, and despite what she'd said, it wasn't always easy for her to sneak out.

Two nights after their first encounter, she had tried to go visit him again. She had donned her stealthy clothes, and had jumped out of one of her bedroom windows onto a balcony below it, only to be met by a stern-looking Impa. She appeared to have been expecting Zelda for some time, patiently waiting for her arrival.

"Now, what business could our lovely princess possibly have at this time of night?" Impa had asked casually.

"Ahh, I just wanted to get a breath of fresh air," Zelda said.

"Perfect. Now you have your fresh air, I think it is time you go back to sleep."

"But Impa—!"

Impa looked at Zelda sharply.

"I am not certain what exactly you have going on, and I will not pry. But I have a duty to the king to keep you from doing anything too foolish. I will live up to that responsibility."

Zleda nodded her head meekly, accepting defeat. As she turned to return to her rooms, she felt an arm on her shoulder.

"I am not sure how, but you have greatly improved your Sheikah abilities. I am proud of you, but be cautious. Your father would likely not approve."

Zelda turned to quickly embrace her nanny, then fled.

She had tried several times since then to sneak out, but Impa always seemed to anticipate her. And so she did not see Link again for several weeks.

Although she didn't get to see him, her thoughts followed him all day. She felt so childish and… almost crazy, to be thinking about him so much, but she couldn't stop herself. She wondered if everyone felt this way when they cared for someone, or if there was something different about her. She knew in her mind that her feelings probably weren't particularly unique. There was a reason so many books, poems, and songs all revolved around love. Still, she couldn't help but feel like her affection was somehow special.

Mostly she just let herself bask in the glory of their new relationship. She generally avoided thinking about the future—about how this thing they had could possibly be sustainable. She knew, though, that if she truly cared for Link, she'd need to figure out a way.

And so she found herself, one hot afternoon in her garden, trying to find a path forward that would allow them to be together. As she always did when facing a problem, Zelda tried to segment the problem into discrete parts, and logically work through each potential solution, going so far as to jot down notes in the dirt with a branch as she sat on a cool stone bench.

Main problem: she would not be allowed to court someone with whom she could never get married, and Link, as a commoner, was not someone she would ever be allowed to marry.

Potential Solution 1: Convince her father, the court, and anybody who cared that she could marry a commoner. This seemed like the least likely solution. Marrying a commoner would significantly damage her legitimacy as the potential Queen of Hyrule, and try as she might, she could not think of any arguments that would persuade her father or the court otherwise. Perhaps, if she had any older siblings, she could manage it. But with no siblings, her mother passed on, and her father unlikely to have any more children, she would remain the heir apparent for the foreseeable future.

Potential Solution 2: Make Link into the kind of person she could marry. This solution, while still improbably, seemed _slightly_ more likely. After all, Link was the Hero of Time. If the court knew that, it might be enough to qualify him to court her. And there _was_ evidence that Link was the Hero of Time. There was his Triforce, as well as some of the prophecies and legends that Link fit quite nicely. And there was Zelda's own word, which had to count for something.

So. Potential Solution 2 seemed like her best bet. However, she felt that the time was not yet right to try and convince anyone that Link was the Hero of Time. Even if everyone believed that Link was the Hero of Time, Zelda felt that it would be difficult for them to internalize it, having not actually been witness to his feats. He needed to actually do something heroic, in this timeline, before she felt she could even attempt to persuade anyone of Link's worthiness.

She could either wait for something to happen that would reveal Link's quality, or she could manufacture some kind of heroic event for him. That idea left a bad taste in Zelda's mouth, but she told herself it was not deception if she was just allowing people to see the kinds of things Link had, in actuality, done. Still, she hoped it would not come to that.

Zelda quickly scratched away her notes as one of her ladies-in-waiting, Mari, arrived. Mari was an amiable woman in her mid-thirties. Zelda knew she had a kindly disposition, but she had never felt particularly close to her—or any of her ladies-in-waiting for that matter. Perhaps because of the mystique of the princess of Hyrule's divinity, many people in the court maintained a certain amount of distance from Zelda.

"Your Highness," she said, wringing her hands nervously, "will you be preparing for the formal dinner soon?"

Zelda frowned. She didn't like how some people were always nervous around her. She didn't give Mari any reason to be anxious, did she?

"Yes, I will be returning to my rooms shortly," she said with an easy smile. Perhaps she herself was too distant with her ladies-in-waiting. Maybe if she opened up to them more, they would be more at ease with her. She decided, whether it was foolish or not, to show some vulnerability with Mari. She wanted to talk to someone anyway. Impa was a wonderful mentor, but she was certainly _not_ the kind of person one asked for advice about matters of the heart.

Mari was about to turn and leave when Zelda called out to her.

"Mari? May I ask you a question?"

Mari faced Zelda, her nervousness clearly only increased by the question.

"Of course, Milady."

Zelda paused, wondering at the best way to word her question.

"You are married, correct?"

"Yes, Milady."

"How… how did you meet your husband?"

Mari, realizing that this conversation would be a more casual, personal affair, relaxed visibly. Zelda was pleased.

"Ahh, my Colin. He was the son of my father's friend. We have known each other practically since birth."

"But… how did you decide you wanted to marry him?" Zelda asked, then decided she should provide more context. "I am getting to the age that my father wishes me to start thinking of these things, but I have so little experience…"

Mari smiled at Zelda in a maternal way that hurt Zelda's heart more than she thought it would.

"Ah, my princess. That is not a simple question to answer. A strong union must be built on the foundation of love, but love can sometimes blind us to the practicalities of joining two lives together. I have always believed the best approach is to ensure that your head and heart agree on the man. You need both for the relationship to succeed."

"But… what if your head and heart don't agree?" asked Zelda, partly out of true curiosity and partly to continue what seemed to be a winning strategy to gain the woman's confidence.

"Well, sometimes it takes time for the two to be reconciled. The heart may be slower than the brain, or vice versa. But if they never agree, then I suggest finding someone else. The person you marry—he will be the father of your children, and your partner for life. You deserve someone who makes sense both romantically and practically."

Zelda nodded thoughtfully. While she had mostly initiated the conversation in order to get to know Mari better, she was finding the woman's wisdom unexpectedly enlightening. She would have to remember that. Just because she had the Triforce of Wisdom didn't mean she couldn't learn wisdom from others.

"Thank you, Mari. When it comes time for me to start courting, I will be sure to seek your advice!"

Mari blushed, clearly pleased with herself. Zelda was also heartened by their conversation. She could use more friends in the castle. She didn't want to feel completely reliant on Link's affection.

"Pardon my asking, Your Highness, but are you meant to pick a suitor sometime soon?"

"Not yet. But it is nearing that time," Zelda said, trying to keep her face impassive.

Mari nodded. "Perhaps not yet. But your father might already be planning. Maybe he invited that Gerudo prince from the west here as a potential suitor."

Zelda froze.

"What? What Gerudo prince?"

"Oh, you know… He… He's a Gerudo…" Mari paused, expression puzzled. "You know what, I must be getting two people confused. There aren't any male Gerudo, are there?"

Zelda shook her head, thoroughly unsettled. Mari, sensing her unease, closed up again, and Zelda felt her efforts to bond with the woman shriveling away.

"Well, I should get ready for dinner," she said, trying to smile as warmly as possible. Mari curtsied and, with a mumbled "Yes ma'am," left Zelda alone.

With a heavy sigh, Zelda lifted herself from the stone bench on which she was seated, and headed for the garden exit. Discarding the disappointment she felt at losing that woman's confidence, she focused instead on her mysterious mention of a Gerudo prince.

Zelda still had some time before dinner, so she took a roundabout way back to her room, taking a walkway that hugged inside of the outer wall of the castle, and passed quite close to the guards' quarters and training grounds. She knew Link was still on night duty, but she thought she might as well increase their chances of running into each other.

As she strolled through the fading afternoon glow, she thought about what Mari had said, the Gerudo man, and tried to come up with a logical explanation for it to stave off her growing dread. Ganondorf did not exist—at least not in this branch of the stream of time. There were literally no Gerudo men in this entire world. Could Mari's confused statement have possibly just been a coincidence? Zelda's instincts told her no, but if it wasn't coincidence, she didn't know what it meant.

She was still racking her brain for some sort of explanation for Mari's words when a door to a small room protruding from the castle wall ahead of her opened and a delightfully familiar person emerged from it. Worried he might not see her, Zelda coughed loudly and Link turned his head towards her, eyes widening in recognition. As soon as he saw her, he made an about face and headed back into the room, which looked to be a storeroom of some kind. As he turned, he wordlessly jerked his head towards the door, motioning to Zelda to follow him.

Zelda checked her surroundings discretely, and, when she was sure there would be no witnesses, followed him inside.

No sooner had she crossed the threshold than Link grabbed the doorknob and slammed the door shut behind her, clearly concerned about prying eyes. His hasty actions left him standing right in front of Zelda, his left arm extended around her to reach the door. Zelda felt a little short of breath at his closeness. Their physical familiarity was still new to her, and it caught her by surprise. She took the opportunity to fully absorb his appearance, relishing the chance to look without fear of gossipmongers.

He wasn't wearing his uniform, and Zelda figured it must be his day off. Instead, he wore grey trousers with a purple tunic—the kind issued to guards for training and other more casual uses. She had been thinking that she should tell him about what Mari had said and ask his opinion on the matter, but as she took in his solid, warm form, the thought fled her mind. Instead, her eyes lingered on the narrow sliver of skin exposed by the cut down the middle of the neck of his tunic, and on the strength and capability suggested by the subtle shape of his legs visible through his trousers.

 _Yes_ , she thought to herself a little dazedly, _I definitely am crazy._

She was jerked out of her reverie by Link's hand on her back, pulling her towards him with the slow, consistent pull of a magnet. It was then that she noticed that he was also taking her in. He was looking at her with an intensity she had never seen before, and the way his eyes seemed somehow darker sent a thrill through her stomach.

Maybe he was crazy too.

Without Zelda really knowing how, Link was suddenly kissing her, his kisses falling faster and harder than they had last time. Their kiss on the ramparts had been patient and gentle, but this was not. While their previous kiss had been full of affection, this one expressed desire, and although Zelda knew it wasn't proper, she couldn't quite find it within herself to mind.

Her back hit the door with a solid thud as he pushed her gently but firmly backwards, and she let out a small gasp. She dover her fingers into his soft hair and enjoyed noticing the positive reaction as he pressed himself closer and deepened their kiss. Realizing she could elicit this kind of response made her feel powerful in a way she never had before, and she felt her cheeks and neck flush with heat.

Link broke off the kiss, but just as Zelda's disappointment that it was ending registered, she felt his lips on her neck, and Zelda found that she very much enjoyed the sensation. She dug her fingers into his back in pleasure, wanting nothing more than for him to be even closer, if possible. She knew they should probably take things slower, before they did anything either of them would regret, but it was hard in the moment to find the discipline to stop.

Her decision was made for her as the heavy stomp of boots on stone sounded just outside the door. Link abruptly pushed away, arms still trapping Zelda against the door, and they both stood, frozen and tense, until the footsteps passed. As the steps faded away, the tension slowly drained from Zelda, and she noticed the room around her for the first time. Rusty swords, broken spears, and split shields lay on racks throughout the small stone chamber, and Zelda guessed it was a storage area for equipment in need of repair.

Link shook his head, removing his arms from their positions on either side of Zelda.

"I am sorry, that was… unwise," he said.

"Don't apologize," Zelda said, moving her hand to play with the neck of his tunic, unconsciously drawing him closer to her.

"Anything we do together is risky, but I'm willing to take that risk."

Link smiled, clearly distracted by her hand on his chest. Zelda thought for one blissful moment that he might kiss her again, but he shook his head, refocusing.

"I am willing, too, but we should go. Guards come here fairly often to get replacements or to work on repairs."

"Ah," said Zelda, trying to keep the disappointment from her voice.

"I've been thinking," said Link, shyly grabbing hold of her hands, "if I were to become a knight, might I be able to openly court you? It would take some time, but I think I could do it."

"It would certainly be more likely," Zelda said, hesitation showing in her voice," but it would still be difficult. Whoever I marry is expected to strengthen the political position of the crown, and no matter how worthy you are, you have few connections."

Link's face fell and his hands lowered, still holding hers. She brought them back up and hugged them towards herself reassuringly.

"But still, it is a good idea... If you gain enough favor with my father, it is certainly possible."

Link smiled at her weakly and pulled her into a short hug, then moved back.

"We should leave. Will I see you on guard duty sometime soon?"

"Yes," said Zelda, renewing her determination to meet with him, Impa or no.

"I will find a way."

Link smiled again, this time more broadly, and stepped back.

"I look forward to it. I'll leave first, and I'll cough twice if the coast is clear. You should follow 30 seconds later."

"Wait," Zelda said, reaching out a hand to stop him. "Wait just a moment."

He stopped, looking at her questioningly.

"I heard… one of my ladies-in-waiting mentioned a Gerudo prince to me in passing. When I pressed her on it, she said she must have been confused, and wasn't sure where she'd gotten the notion. Do you have any idea what that could mean?"

Link's smile morphed into a deep frown, his eyebrows furrowing in concern.

"That is… disturbing." He brought a hand to his chin. "I travelled Hyrule extensively after my return, listening for any news of Ganondorf. I never heard even a whisper of a rumor of a man among the Gerudo." He shook his head, "I have no idea what this could mean."

Hm. It was as she had expected.

"Well, keep your ears tuned for any news of him, and let me know if you hear anything."

He nodded his assent, and Zelda embraced him again, this time in farewell. He left the storage room, and Zelda followed 30 seconds after hearing his signal. Zelda continued back to her room, mind racing with joyful thoughts of Link, and dreadful thoughts of Ganondorf.

* * *

"Link? Link! Hey, Link!"

Gad snapped his fingers in Link's face, and he snapped out of his trance.

"Sorry, what was that?"

"By the goddesses, man, I must have asked you six times! Do you still have the night shift?" Gad asked, annoyance creeping into his voice.

"Oh yes, I still do. But today was my day off, so I spent some time out during the day," he said to the broad man seated across from him in the mess hall. Link was eating dinner with Gad and the other guards on a long broad table in the guards' quarters. The food was simple, hearty stuff, but it was all rather luxurious to Link.

"Now was that so hard to say? I swear, it's like your head was up in the Spirit Realm or something."

Link almost laughed out loud, since Gad had no way of knowing that he'd been closer to the Spirit Realm than Gad could possibly imagine. He was right thought—Link's head had been up in the clouds ever since he'd run into the Zelda. The high he felt from being in her presence was so strong that it eclipsed the worry her mention of "the Gerudo prince" had brought him.

To own the truth, he'd been feeling more or less this way ever since they had spent those several hours together up on the ramparts. She was so kind and lovely and wise and beautiful—Link was still trying to process the fact that she wanted him. At times, he dared to think of her as his, but when these presumptuous thoughts appeared, he beat them down with reminders of realities. If she was truly his, they would be able to see each other every day. He wouldn't have to sneak around and only see her under cover of darkness or behind closed doors. Still, if she couldn't be his, at least he could be hers.

Oh. Gad was talking again. Link made himself stop thinking of Zelda and the gentle curve of her waist and focused on his friend.

"Well, I was thinking you might still be on duty since so many extra guards are needed to escort the Gerudo prince to the castle," Gad said, evidently still talking about Link's guard schedule. Link's heart stopped.

"Gerudo prince? What Gerudo prince?" he said, voice taught as a bowstring.

"Well _now_ I finally have your attention. You know, the prince who's coming to see King Daphnes. Prince… Prince…. What as his name again?"

Gad leaned back from his meat and mushroom skewer, shouting towards Taio, who was seated at a different table playing cards.

"Hey! Taio! What was that Gerudo prince's name again?"

Taio glanced up at his brother, clearly annoyed by the distraction. Based off of the hefty pile of chips on the table, it looked like he actually had quite a bit of money on the line.

"What are you on about? Everybody knows all Gerudo are ladies!"

Gad's face grew confused.

"Hm? I guess that's true… You know, I must have confused it with that Duke of Labrynna who's coming next week."

Link just stared at Gad, unable to keep the horrified expression off of his face.

"Link? What's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost," said Gad.

Link shook his head slowly.

"No. I've seen ghosts before. This is much worse."

Gad looked at Link with concerned incomprehension.

"Link, are you OK? You know, if the night shift is too hard on you, you can ask Ado to transfer you. I'm sure he'd be willing to give you a break."

Despite the heavy sense of impending doom, Link still felt an appreciation for his friend and his concern. He rose from his seat, salted bass only half-finished, and clapped Gad on the shoulder.

"Thank you, but I think I'll be OK. I have to go now, though."

Gad nodded uncertainly, and waved as Link left the mess hall with a determined look.

Some sort of instinct told Link exactly where he needed to go. He marched briskly past the guards he'd hidden from as a child, straight to the circular courtyard in which he'd first met Princess Zelda, still thinking of Gad and Mari's strange words. It was as if Ganondorf was slowly bleeding into their world, and Link was becoming increasingly convinced that that was exactly what was happening.

It wasn't common for an off-duty guard to go wandering around here, but if anyone asked, he'd just claim he was delivering a messaged for Captain Ado. Nobody stopped him, and he entered the courtyard for the first time in years. He headed straight for the window Zelda had been looking through when he'd first met her—the one that looked onto the throne room.

Through the window, he saw a man with olive skin and orange hair kneeling down before the king. The man glanced up and locked eyes with Link briefly. There was no doubting it. After over eight years with no hint of his existence, Ganondorf had somehow reentered their world. Link fell away from the window in horror. He certain that, including himself and Zelda, there were now three people in Hyrule who remembered the other branch in the stream of time.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

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 **AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hi everyone! Another chapter here for your viewing pleasure. I'm trying to keep to updating at least once a week, but it's been a little tough with work (working till midnight most days lately :/). I want to keep up the updating pace, but I don't want to let the quality drop either. Hopefully I'm walking that line! Thanks so much for the favorites, follows, and reviews!**

 **XBnemesisX – Zelda has a brother? That is… awesome. So many fun stories could come out of that! Which game was that?**

 **Sidus Alatus – That's a good idea! In retrospect, it may have been a good idea to have Zelda and Link go to the Zora's Domain together to find the next Great Fairy before moving the plot forward to give them more time to get to know each other. It can be hard to balance what you think the pacing of the plot should be/giving your characters time to develop/making sure their decisions make sense and a are believable to the reader. Hopefully what I've done makes sense too** **J**

 **Undertario – I'm glad it was unexpected** **J Honestly, I wasn't sure when I started the story if Ganondorf was going to be in it or not, but as I landed on an ending I liked, I decided he needed to be in it.**

 **James Birdsong – Thanks! The "of course" is especially flattering.**

 **Ai Star – Oooooooooh snap!**

* * *

Zelda sat, tall and elegant, at the head of the table in the Great Hall as she waited for her father to arrive. Maintaining this composure was normally as easy as breathing for her, but today she was on edge. She had thought she would be happy to see Link—and she certainly was—but their clandestine meeting put her in an odd mood.

Zelda didn't like sneaking around. She hadn't enjoyed doing it as Sheik either, and then she'd had a much better reason. She felt guilty for hiding from her father, but also outraged that she had to hide in the first place. If she was discovered, would she be able to justify her actions? She wasn't sure. She felt that, if there was any justice in the world, she and Link should be allowed to be together if they wished. But perhaps the way she was going about it was all wrong.

And then of course there was what Mari had said earlier. Zelda had hoped that Link would brush off the incident. If he wasn't worried about it, she would probably be able to convince herself that she didn't need to worry about it either. But his anxious response to Mari's offhanded mention of Ganondorf only increased Zelda's own concern.

As she thought about the strange way Ganondorf seemed to be gradually leaking into their world, a theory started to solidify from her swirling thoughts. Ganondorf's defeat had expelled him from their timeline, leaving him adrift somewhere in time. Perhaps it was _because_ no one remembered him that he was unable to return to their timeline? Perhaps, because she and Link had begun to talk of him, because she had remembered him, he had become more real in this timeline. Perhaps their shared consciousness of his existence bought him the foothold he needed to reenter their Hyrule. It was a depressing thought to consider, but it somehow made sense in Zelda's mind.

"Your Highness, are you feeling well?" asked Lady Frida, who was seated next to Zelda at the table. "You look quite pale today."

Lady Frida was Zelda's second cousin. She was almost ten years older than Zelda, and Zelda had always got the sense that Frida resented the deference that was shown to her much younger cousin. Needless to say, they weren't particularly close.

"I am fine," Zelda said with a weak smile. "Just a little tired, perhaps."

Zelda wondered if Frida could actually tell that Zelda's mood was off, or if the woman was simply using her concern to hide a subtle insult to Zelda's appearance. Either way, Zelda didn't particularly feel like engaging with her. She hoped her father would arrive soon and spare her any more empty pleasantries.

Zelda was contemplating the perfectly circular ring of silver around her empty dinner plate when a commotion at the door caught her attention. She looked up and could hardly control the urge to leap to her feet when she saw that Link was at an entrance to the Great Hall across from her, trying unsuccessfully to pass by the two guards blocking his path.

"Soldier! You are not allowed in here. Go back to the barracks immediately," Zelda heard one of the guards say, but Link did not back off. Zelda knew that whatever had happened to bring Link here, it must have been serious. He never would have risked exposing their relationship otherwise. Because of this, she also knew that there was no way Link would simply leave just because of these soldiers. If he felt he had no other options, he might even attack them. Zelda could not allow that to happen.

The other courtiers around the table had also turned their attention towards Link and the guards, and there would surely be talk if she intervened on his behalf. Still, she would not leave him to his own devices. She stood calmly and slowly, trying to stand as regally as possible. The only way to mitigate potential scandal was to proceed with as much dignity and authority as possible.

"Let him through," she said in her most imperious voice.

"But… Your highness!" the guard protested, clearly unsure how to respond to an order that so clearly contradicted protocol.

"If you are reprimanded, I will take full responsibility. Let him through."

The men reluctantly returned to their posts flanking the entrance, letting Link through.

Link jogged towards Zelda at the head of the large table, and Zelda felt herself falling into that unnaturally placid demeanor she often adopted when things were going awry. Link looked scared, and he hardly ever looked scared. That, more than anything else, told her the seriousness of the situation. Zelda tried to ignore the scandalized expressions of many of the other courtiers in the room, focusing instead on whatever it was that had brought Link here with such urgency.

"Master Link," Zelda started to say, deciding that she should at least attempt to maintain the illusion that they were not well-acquainted.

"Ganondorf!" Link interrupted, voice frantic, "He's here, I saw him."

"Of course, Prince Ganondorf arrived just this morning," said Lady Frida, "This dinner is being held in his honor after all."

Zelda's jaw slackened. Ganondorf was here… How? Why? Was he planning on hiding his intentions until the perfect moment? Or would he attack Link and Zelda outright as soon as he saw them? If he were to attack directly, then they needed to do whatever they could immediately to stop him. However, if he was biding his time, it would be best if she and Link could continue to hide their connection. Zelda shut her eyes tightly in concentration. She needed more information.

"Why, Lady Frida, how could that be? I haven't heard anything about his coming."

Frida's brow furrowed, as if she too couldn't quite remember where she'd heard of his coming.

"No, no. That can't be right. We've known about his visit for weeks!" she said, giving Link a suspicious look.

"Your Highness, who is this man who has the audacity to burst in here like this?" asked her husband Odlo, and she felt the courtiers' eyes on her like sharks smelling blood in the water.

Losing patience with their confusion, Link interrupted, his voice now edged with something close to anger.

"Regardless of how he got here, he's speaking with your father now. I saw him. He could be here at any moment."

Zelda bit her lip in worry, making a quick decision that would hopefully save the kingdom.

"Link," she said, trying to infuse her voice with as much confidence as possible, "I am going to try and convince my father. Will you stay with me while I do that? I think your… blessing could help convince him."

"Of course, I would never leave you alone with that man around," Link said darkly, and not a few eyebrows around the table shot up. Although his bold statement certainly wouldn't help with the rumors that would undoubtedly result from this encounter, Zelda couldn't help but appreciate his loyalty.

"Princess Zelda," said Sir Ulrich, one of her father's counselors, "what exactly is—?"

Ulrich's question was cut off as a footman opened the large double doors at the head of the hall—the ones that led to the Throne Room.

"Presenting King Daphnes Nohansen and Prince Ganondorf," he called with a loud voice, and Zelda saw Link freeze beside her as she and the other people seated around the table rose to their feet.

Her father entered the hall with a regal stride, somehow seeming tall despite his relatively diminutive stature. Zelda took in a sharp intake of breath as she caught sight of the bright red hair of the man who followed after the king. Ganondorf looked confident and strong in his rich desert clothing. It struck Zelda that Ganondorf was actually rather young—no older than 30. The other version of herself had first seen the man at the tender age of ten, when anyone older than 15 seemed wise and aged. If Link's presence in the Great Hall beside Zelda surprised Ganondorf at all he gave no sign of it. His insufferable smirk was exactly the same as Zelda had seen in her borrowed memories.

The king, however, was disturbed by Link's presence. He stopped short of his chair, eyebrows raised, and checked the doors for the guards, who shrugged their shoulders at his unspoken question.

"Zelda, what—?"

"Father, I must speak with you in private."

"Right now? And why is Master Link here?"

Zelda's hands, which had rested calmly on the tabletop as she stood, moved to tightly grasp the edge of the table. Their situation right now was tenuous, and she prayed that Link wouldn't do anything drastic. She could sense that he had to fight every instinct he possessed to keep from grabbing a weapon from one of the guards and throwing himself between Ganondorf and Zelda.

"Father, he has news for you that I have deemed urgent. Please delay this dinner a short while. You know I would not ask were it not important."

The king looked between Link and Zelda, expression full of doubt. Zelda eyed her father intently, hoping that her countenance communicated to her father the full measure of her earnestness.

"Very well," he said to Zelda, then turned to the dinner guests, "My apologies, we will return shortly."

He headed towards a smaller door along the long side of the hall and motioning towards Link and Zelda to follow.

Zelda followed her father, noticing the way Link trailed quickly after her and positioned himself between Zelda and the desert prince still standing at the head of the table. They followed the king through a hallway to her father's study. The king sat in an overstuffed red chair behind a heavy, ornately carved desk and let out a deep sigh.

"Zelda, relations with the Gerudo are tense. I cannot afford to offend their prince. What could possibly be so urgent that it could not wait?"

Zelda seated herself in a slender chair across the desk from her father, but Link remained standing.

"Father, the Gerudo Prince is not to be trusted. Link and I… we both know him, and he is an evil man with dark magic."

"What—? How—?" the king sputtered. Whatever he had been expecting, it clearly hadn't been that. He paused, taking a moment to collect himself.

"How could you possibly know this? Did you run into him on your trip to Death Mountain? If so, why didn't Miro mention it?"

Zelda considered accepting this convenient explanation her father had offered her, but decided that it would be unwise to say anything Miro could contradict. _Nayru please bless me for my honesty,_ she thought to herself.

"No, Father." She stood, and grabbed Link's hand, making short work of his gauntlet, and held it up, placing her own palm flat against his. The Triforce marks on their hands glowed with a golden light.

"Link and I are bearers of the Holy Triforce. I hold the Triforce of Wisdom, and Link holds the Triforce of Courage. Over eight years ago, Ganondorf stole the Triforce of Power from the Sacred Realm. Using it, he conquered Hyrule and ruled for years until eventually Link and I defeated him. After Link defeated Ganondorf, I sent Link back in time, and it was as if Ganondorf had never existed."

Zelda took a deep breath. The king's incredulity was plain as day on his face, and Zelda couldn't blame him. She remembered how she had reacted when Link had first told her the story, and prayed that her father's reception would be more positive. She continued.

"Ganondorf was nowhere to be found in all of Hyrule, and no one remembered Ganondorf's dark reign. We thought that he was gone forever, but he has just now reappeared, attempting to gain your confidence."

Zelda removed her palm from Link's and moved closer to her father, setting her hands on the desk and leaning forward earnestly.

"Father, he is not to be trusted. He may still have the Triforce of Power. If so, he is _very_ dangerous."

The king leaned back in his chair, lacing his fingers together and resting his elbows on the arms of the chair.

"So… Everyone in Hyrule forgot about this evil king Ganondorf. How is it that you and Master Link remember?"

This was the question Zelda was dreading. She knew it all seemed just a little too convenient that she and Link would be the only two people to remember Ganondorf's evil.

"I believe Link remembers because he is the person who was sent back in time. He was the person who actually defeated Ganondorf, and I aided him, but it was… another version of myself—an alternate version. I only recently regained my memories, thanks to the Great Fairies' healing."

The king unlaced his fingers and turned his gaze to Link, giving him a long, hard look.

"I see. You defeated this 'evil king' Ganondorf, but everyone forgot about it. Then you _helped_ my daughter remember your heroic deeds? How convenient. Zelda, I had thought these excursions to see the Great Fairies was for research, not to go chasing some fantastic tale woven by some swindler."

Zelda could practically _feel_ Link bristling beside her at the insult. Zelda also recognized the tone of her fathers' voice. He had already made up his mind, and any additional argument would likely only solidify his opinions further. Still, she could not just give up.

"Father! I understand that this is hard for you to believe, but there is evidence! First and foremost, there is the mark of the Triforce on our hands. And then there is my own word. Does that not count for something?"

The king turned his gaze back towards Zelda, and his features softened. She dared to hope that perhaps he would trust her—that he would believe her when it mattered most.

"My dear. It is not that I don't believe you. I believe you are in complete earnest. But this man here, I do not know him. I find it more likely that he has put strange ideas in your head than that there is some vast, time-traveling conspiracy surrounding Prince Ganondorf."

The king sighed, running a hand through his long, silver hair.

"He has deceived you, and I wish that you could see it. You are a very clever girl, Zelda. Cleverer than I am by half! But I fear that I have sheltered you too much."

Zelda was finally beginning to lose her composure. He was not going to believe her. There was nothing she could do. And he was probably right—she had been very sheltered and naïve. She knew, because she could contrast herself with the other Zelda—the one who had been tempered by harsh experience. She would have handled things better. _She_ would not have let herself get distracted by Link, hiding away with him in dark corners like a lovestruck schoolgirl. _She_ would have anticipated Ganondorf's return.

"Let him take the Master Sword. That will prove it. That will prove to you that he is the Hero of Time. That we are telling the truth!" she said, practically begging.

Her father's face hardened.

"Hero of Time?" The king let out a joyless laugh. "What nonsense is that. Let him take the Master Sword? Impossible. That is one of the great treasures of Hyrule. Has he been trying to convince you to take him to it, Zelda?"

Zelda had not anticipated this kind of reaction from her father. Zelda had a scientific, analytical mind. To her, taking Link to the Master Sword would be a kind of experiment—a logical way to prove whether or not their story was true. Her father had a more political mind. As soon as he heard mention of the Master Sword his first instinct was to wonder what kind of strategic political advantage one might gain from such a request. As this realization dawned on her, she struggled to formulate a response that might be persuasive.

"Ah, he… I," she sputtered, "he has not asked me to get him the Master Sword, I simply suggested it as a way to provide you with concrete evidence."

King Daphnes shook his head sadly.

"Zelda, I love you very much, but I must admit I am disappointed. I had heard rumors that you were seeing some man in secret, but I never dreamed they were true. I just hope… that things are not as they appear."

Zelda blushed fiercely in embarrassment and anger. Her fists tightened, but she did not burst out with an fiery response. She thought of the other Zelda, of what she might do in this situation. She needed to remain calm.

"Father, this has nothing to do with that," she said, her voice tightly controlled.

"We will talk about this more later. For now, I want you," he said, pointing an accusatory finger at Link, "out of the castle immediately. Young man, I had heard good things about you. I am disappointed to have to do this. But this embarrassment in front of a foreign ruler, your possible relationship with my daughter, and this ridiculous story you've concocted… these things make it impossible for me to allow you to continue to stay within the castle walls."

Link looked as if his heart fell into his stomach. Link eyed Zelda uncertainly, looking to her for direction. She knew that, while it would be difficult for him to defy the king's orders, he would never leave her unless she told him to.

She turned from her father and took a step towards Link, lowering her voice.

"Link, you should do as the king says."

"But… are you sure?"

Zelda nodded solemnly. The short-term solution had failed—they needed to plan for the long game. Her father, despite his anger, was allowing Link to leave a free man. It wouldn't help anyone if he were to get locked up.

"You could always find work in Castle Town, right?" she said, trying to make the comment sound as natural as possible. "You know, in that store by the Temple of Time where you used to work?"

Link looked at her in confusion, brow furrowed, and she gave him a hard look, willing him to understand.

"…Yes. I suppose I could do that," he said, seeming a little less uncertain. He probably should have said something to the king, perhaps apologized for the interruption, but he said nothing more. Zelda was glad. She didn't want him apologizing for the truth. He bowed, first to the king, then to Zelda, and left the study.

Zelda felt as though half of her strength left with him. She closed her eyes tightly, telling herself she could handle Ganondorf alone—at least for a short time. She would need to stay near her father at all times. She did not think she could defeat Ganondorf, not right now and not without Link's help, but she felt that she would at least be able to protect her father should Ganondorf try anything. She could feel her power growing in response to Ganondorf's presence, and thankfully her memories from the other timeline gave her an idea of how to use it.

"Zelda, my daughter. I know this… can't be easy for you, but it had to be done. Let us return to the dinner, and we can talk this out later, hmm?"

"Yes, father," she said, and she followed him silently back to the Great Hall.

* * *

Link's heart didn't stop pounding, even after he had left the castle and made it all the way to Castle Town. He'd returned to the barracks, informed Captain Ado that he was leaving, and gathered up his things for the second time in less than a month. Wearing his old green tunic again and shouldering his fairy bag, he headed towards Castle Town, hoping that he'd understood Zelda's cryptic message correctly. It seemed as if she wanted him to wait for her at the Temple of Time, so that's where he went.

Link sat on the stone bench outside of the Temple of Time, not knowing hold long he'd need to wait there, but determined to remain unmoved until Zelda found him. Link was good at waiting.

Link leaned over his knees and fiddled nervously with his thumbs while he waited, thinking about their next steps, trying to avoid considering the possibility of Ganondorf attacking and killing Zelda, the king, and everyone else in the castle while he was gone. If Zelda wanted to meet him here, she probably planned to get the Master Sword. That made sense. The Master Sword would be necessary to defeat Ganondorf, and had the added benefit of proving that Link was who Zelda claimed he was. But if they were to get the Master Sword, they'd need to collect the spiritual stones, which could take some time.

Link sighed, running his fingers through his hair. What a mess! Hyrule had remained peaceful, unmolested by Ganondorf's evil, for so long. What had happened to cause all of this? Link mentally ran through the past couple of weeks, trying to figure out if he could have done anything differently. He couldn't help but feel that he'd bungled things with Zelda—that he should have been more proper, and found a way to be with her while following correct etiquette. He knew in his head that Zelda's father still wouldn't have believed them even if he'd kept an appropriate distance, but somehow the king's rebuke had felt more justified since he had at least been right about Link and Zelda being involved.

Link tapped his booted foot against the ground rapidly, trying to get rid of his extra energy. He looked back over his shoulder at the castle, searching for some sign of what was going on. Black smoke maybe? Screams? If he heard or saw anything out of the ordinary, he didn't care what Zelda said, he was going back.

Even if Ganondorf didn't attack immediately, Link was anxious to be doing something. If they were going to open the Sacred Realm, he'd rather be out there now, getting things done. Link actually already had the Kokiri Emerald, since Zelda had sent him back in time to right after the Great Deku Tree had given it to him.

Link waited there, mind racing with possibilities and plans, for hours. After what felt like an eternity, he saw a dark silhouette emerge from the Temple of Time. It was Zelda, in her Sheik disguise. She motioned for Link to follow her inside and he did so, eager to hear her news.

As soon as they entered the temple, Zelda turned around and hugged Link tightly around the waist. Arms still encircling him, she spoke urgently into his ear.

"We must open the Sacred Realm. I will go to the Zoras and ask for Zora Sapphire. You go to the Gorons and ask for the Ruby. You already have the Kokiri Emerald, yes?"

Link pulled back a little so he could see Zelda's face, partially-covered as it was by her wrap. He nodded.

"But… what if Ganondorf follows us again? That is how he got the Triforce of Power in the first place."

"Yes, but he already has it at this point. I could sense it as he entered the Great Hall. There is nothing left to protect," she looked down, frowning. Knowing Zelda, she probably took it as a personal failing that an evil man like Ganondorf had ever entered a place as holy as the Sacred Realm. She looked back up at him.

"And besides, I think I could hold him back if I had to, at least long enough for you to retrieve the sword. After that, hopefully we can convince my father to have Ganondorf arrested, and if he resists we will face him. If my father still cannot be convinced…" she said with a sigh, "we'll just have to seek him out ourselves and confront him head on. The sooner we deal with him, the better."

"And your father? And the other people in the castle? How will they be protected when we are gone?"

Zelda eyes narrowed in a way that told Link she was frowning beneath her mask.

"I have placed a shielding spell over my father that should hold until I return. As for the rest of the castle… I can only hope that Ganondorf will not take any lives while we are gone. It is a terrible risk, but we need to open the Sacred Realm if we are to stop him. I would ask you to get both the Zora Sapphire and the Goron Ruby while I stay at the castle, but Ruto and I have a good relationship. I feel that I would be able to obtain the Zora Sapphire quicker and more easily than you. I know you are close to Darunia, so I feel sending you to the Gorons would be wisest."

Link nodded, understanding the pain and fear Zelda must feel in leaving the castle with Ganondorf in it.

"Are we leaving immediately then?"

"Yes," she said, pulling a familiar blue ocarina out of the slim bag she kept strapped to her back.

"Take this. You should be able to get there quickly with the ocarina. I have my own ways of travelling. It is convenient to have all of the other Zelda's memories," she said with a half-hearted smile.

Link pulled her tightly to him again, trying to lend her some of his strength.

"We can do this. We did it before—we can do it again."

"That was her, not me. And besides, I'd rather we succeeded without my father and half of Castle Town dying in the process like they did in the other time."

Link wanted to ask her what her father had said to her, but it didn't seem like the right time. Time was of the essence, after all.

"Meet back here as soon as possible," Zelda continued, stepping out of his embrace and preparing to leave. "We will wait here until noon tomorrow. If either of us doesn't show up by then…"

"We'll find each other," said Link firmly, willing himself to believe it.

Zelda nodded firmly, then stepped away from him with a particular manner that Link recognized. He raised a hand to stop her before she disappeared in that mysterious Sheikah way of hers.

"Wait a second, Zelda."

She paused, looking at him questioningly. He swallowed.

"You should know that you're not any different from her. The other Zelda, I mean. You're the same person—the same spirit, the same soul. That's why I… that's why I care about you so much"

Zelda gave Link a sad smile before backing up again and disappeared with a crack and a puff of smoke. Link held up the Ocarina of Time, pulling the notes to the Bolero of Fire out of his memory. As he played the solemn march, Link knew Zelda hadn't really believed him. That was ok. There would be time to convince her later. Hopefully.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

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 **AUTHOR'S NOTE: Sorry this update has taken a little longer. Work, travel, etc. All the same old excuses :p Thanks so much for all of the reviews and follows and favorites. I really appreciate it. Please let me know in reviews what you think of the story so far, and let me know if you have any suggestions for improvements/what would make the ending satisfying to you. Thanks!**

 **RenegadeReviewer: Thanks for the review! I enjoy when stories are not predictable, but your point about not being "fully sold" is well-taken. The plot of the story has changed quite a bit since I first started writing it, and I think that shows sometimes. To be honest, I am more experienced with shorter stories where I can keep the structure and main ideas very focused and make the story more cohesive. I'm trying to bring that same sense of cohesion to my longer stories, but it will take practice** **J I'm glad you liked Reticence so much. I think it is probably the best story I have on fanfic so far (except maybe a Rurouni Kenshin one that people in this fandom might not be interested in haha), so I'm really glad people have found it! I think oneshots can sometimes get buried on fanfiction.**

 **Undertario: Thanks! I'll try and make it a climax you enjoy more than dread**

 **Ai Star: I think I have made the king a little one-dimensional so far. You might feel a little more sympathy for him after reading this chapter**

 **Axcel: Wow, so many comments! Thanks! As for your comment about Hyrule being small… I think that Hyrule is small, but in my mind the game has scaled down the size/number of inhabitants from the "real" Hyrule in order for it to fit in a game. My point is that the Hyrule in my story has significantly more inhabitants/is larger than you would see in the game. I do agree, though, that the "Link and Zelda can't be together because she's a princess" thing is cliché at this point, but it seemed the most logical thing to do. Whathca gonna do?**

 **just some guy: I'm glad you're enjoying the story. I hope you like this next chapter!**

* * *

"Absolutely not!" said Ruto, folding her arms beneath her ample chest.

"But, please understand Ruto!"

"Whatever emergency you have, it can't possibly be important enough to take my engagement stone from me."

Hands clasped in front of her, Zelda stood in the Zora's Domain in front of her friend, begging the Zora princess to lend her the Zora Sapphire for a few hours. It was all to no avail. Ruto had been excited to see Zelda, and had invited Zelda back to her private quarters to chat, but the conversation had soured at the mention of the spiritual stone.

Zelda was hesitant to explain to Ruto why she needed the stone, considering that her own father hadn't believed her story. Instead, she had told Ruto that she needed the stone, just for a day, to complete important research she was doing on the history of the Zora. To most people that would seem a poor deception. Who would show up in the middle of the night asking for materials for "urgent research"? But Zelda knew what Ruto's opinion of her was. Zelda knew based off of years of merciless teasing that Ruto believed Zelda to be just bookish enough to do something like this. Still, she wished she could have come up with a more pressing excuse. Unfortunately, this was all she could manage under pressure, and Ruto had not been impressed.

Noticing Zelda's distressed features, Ruto's anger seemed to subside.

"Look, Zelda, you could do your research here. I just don't feel comfortable with the sapphire leaving the Domain. Why don't you stay the night, and you can work on your research here tomorrow? It's already quite late."

Zelda considered her options. A part of her, the desperate part, wanted to just steal the stone right then and there and disappear in a puff of Sheikah smoke, prepared to take first and ask forgiveness later. She would bring the stone back once, Nayru willing, Ganondorf was defeated.

However, it was already well into the evening and if she waited until Ruto was asleep she might be able to take the stone undetected and reduce the risk of diplomatic disaster.

"Thank you, Princess Ruto. That is very generous of you."

Ruto led her to a guest room not far from her own, made specifically for Hylian guests. Zelda lay down on the thankfully-solid bed, still clothed in her white and pink formal dress, matching gloves and all. It felt very strange to be lying down to sleep when every part of her brain was screaming at her to act.

She didn't sleep. She simply lay there, trying to plan for every possible confrontation with Ganondorf, until she thought Ruto would probably be asleep. While she tried to remain focused on defeating Ganondorf, memories of her father and their confrontation earlier that day kept invading her thoughts.

Zelda and her father had gone back to his study after dinner, and her father had taken a gentler, but in some ways more painful, tone with her. She went over their conversation in her mind, trying to decide what the implications meant to her.

* * *

"Zelda, I know you didn't simply 'get lost' when you went missing several weeks ago. What exactly has been going on? You used to tell me everything, but now I feel completely in the dark."

Zelda, who had been looking down, bracing herself for more fierce words from her father, looked up in surprise. Despite having rarely experienced such emotions from her father before, Zelda immediately recognized the emotion in his voice to be hurt. He sat, leaned back in his chair, his large eyes sad and full. He looked at her as one might look at a friend who has just cut off a long relationship. Zelda had already felt guilty for hiding things, but she had yet to consider how her deception might damage her relationships with the people she cared for the most.

"Father, I didn't mean to lie to you… It was wrong of me to conceal my memories, and Link, from you. But I swear to you my motivations were not based on a lack of trust or respect for you. I simply… What I said earlier—about the Triforce and Ganondorf and Link—it was all true, but I knew it was incredible, almost preposterous. I myself had difficulty believing Link at first, and so I knew that other, reasonable people who cared for me would likely also disbelieve. I wanted to wait to say anything until I had further proof. I did not wish to worry you."

Zelda hoped sincerely that her words rang true to her father. She truly did respect him. He was a wise and fair ruler, and while he had perhaps been overprotective of her, he had always treated her well and recognized her skills and talents. This whole experience had been particularly jarring to her precisely because her father had always trusted her in the pasts. King Daphnes only shook his head sadly.

"So you still hold to your words earlier? You did not feel pressure to say things you didn't believe because of that man's presence?"

"No father. I stand by what I said. I spoke the truth. I only regret how I have acted in response to it."

King Daphnes, dissatisfied with her response, shook his head again.

"I trust you, my daughter. Really, I do. But what you are asking me to believe… Maybe I can believe it eventually. But it will take time. If you tell me more, share with me how you came to these conclusions, maybe I can be convinced. But you must understand, it is no small thing to accuse a foreign dignitary of conspiring to overthrow the crown based off of some bizarre memories and the word of a stranger."

Zelda nodded in agreement. "I know. I understand completely, which is why I hope you know that I would never make such assertions lightly. And I can tell you more… I can tell you all about how I met Link, what the Great Fairies said to me—"

Daphnes raised his hand to stop her.

"There will be time for that later. You can tell me tomorrow. I have had enough of this tale for one night."

Zelda, recognizing her father's signal for dismissal, hung her head low.

"Thank you, father."

She turned, and left the study.

* * *

Lying in her bed in the Zora's Domain, Zelda wondered if she could have said anything else to convince her father that night. She had wanted so much to protest, but she knew it would likely only hurt her cause. Even getting her father to agree to hear her out had been a minor victory, and it was a victory she needed to hang on to. And who knew, maybe she and Link could retrieve the Master Sword tonight, then they would be prepared in case Ganondorf struck. And in the meantime, she could continue to work on her father until he believed her.

Zelda wondered, almost bitterly, if it would even be possible to both save Hyrule and remain on good terms with her friends and family as well. Impa, her father, and now Ruto—she would have betrayed all of them one way or another by the end of the night. She could only hope that they would understand why she had done what she had. She could only hope that things could still turn out well.

She sighed and rolled over, judging that she had waited long enough to safely assume Ruto to be asleep. Zelda got up and changed into her Sheikah clothing, then stealthed over to the Zora Princess' chambers, praying to Nayru that she was asleep. Zelda listened carefully at the door before soundlessly sneaking through. Ruto was floating in the large pool of water that served as her bed, wrapped thickly with luxurious seaweed, and Zelda let out a sigh of relief.

She looked around the room for the stone, quietly going through drawers, vases, vanities, and closets, but found nothing. She silently fumed in frustration, taking another worried look at the still-sleeping Zora princess. Then she caught a glimpse of glimmering blue.

The stone was right there, hanging on Ruto's neck as she floated in her watery bed. Zelda's relief at locating the stone soon turned to distress at the thought of somehow taking the stone from Ruto as he slept without her noticing.

Zelda approached the pool and knelt at its edge, considering her options. She couldn't reach Ruto from the edge without falling in. She could try slipping in the water to get closer, but Ruto would have to be practically comatose if that was going to work.

There was a third option, but it made Zelda nervous. She knew that the other Zelda, Link's Zelda, could do it, but could she? She took a deep breath. She had no choice but to try.

She concentrated, then put up an angular, amber shield around the stone. The shield would normally be used to protect someone from harm, but if she created the shield, then lifted it up, the sapphire should move with it.

Zelda focused, trying to make the movements of the diamond-shaped shield slow and precise. The sapphire gradually moved upwards off of Ruto's neck, and Zelda felt relief flood through her. It was working.

Ruto rolled over in her sleep, pulling the long strands of seaweed with her, and moaned. Zelda froze, waiting to move the Zora Sapphire again until the sleeping princess had settled down. Thankfully, the chain on which the sapphire was hung was still loose, otherwise Ruto most certainly would have felt the taught chain cutting into her neck.

"L… Spuhhh…" Ruto mumbled in her sleep. She let out a heavy sigh, then said, "Link, where are you?"

Zelda blinked twice. She knew Link had reconnected with the people he'd met in the other time stream, but she had no idea he'd left such a strong impression on Ruto. Well. That was… interesting.

Zelda forced herself to refocus. Ruto seemed to have stopped tossing and turning, so she continued her careful extraction. Getting the chain of the necklace around Ruto's rather large head was difficult, but it was a thankfully generous chain, and Zelda managed it. After several tense minutes, she finally held the sapphire in her hands.

"Sorry, friend. I promise I'll bring it right back," she whispered. She backed slowly out of the room, then disappeared in a puff of smoke.

* * *

Link found himself waiting for Zelda at the Temple of Time for the second time that night. By the time he'd reached Goron City, choosing to warp to the Forest Temple and then take the shortcut from the Lost Woods to the city, all of the Gorons were already asleep, including the one Goron assigned to guard the Goron Ruby. Link, not wanting to wake Darunia and preferring as little fuss as possible anyway, simply took the stone from its resting place and immediately warped back to the Temple of Time.

He'd been waiting there for hours now, every nerve on edge. Would this night ever end? Strangely, though, he almost felt comfortable in this tense, foreboding atmosphere. Before, he hadn't had much direction. His only real long-term goal had been to be with Zelda, and it was not clear how or even if he should go about achieving it. Now, his path was straightforward and clear. Defeat Ganondorf, save the kingdom. Link had always liked things to be simple.

Link was surprised to realize that a part of him was glad that Ganondorf had returned. In all honesty, this disaster could end up solving a lot of his problems. If he defeated the evil king, no one could claim that he was unworthy of Zelda's hand. He also couldn't deny that it would feel good to finally receive recognition as the Hero of Time. Link looked within himself and discovered feelings he hardly even recognized: bitterness towards his fate, a yearning for praise and recognition, a selfish desire to be with Zelda regardless of the consequences. Even more shocking, he found he didn't feel guilty for having those feelings. He felt entirely justified.

As he was wondering at this new side to himself he had just unearthed, Link almost jumped as the faint echo of shouts and screams, perhaps carried inside on the wind, became audible inside of the Temple. He sat completely still for a long moment, trying to tell if he had imagined the sound or not, but the Temple of Time carried with it it's own silence, and he didn't hear anything else. He almost ran out of the Temple to check on the city, but he needed to be here when Zelda arrived. And try as he might, he couldn't hear the sound any more. The frightened noises had probably just been conjured up by his tired, anxiety-ridden mind.

Regardless, the phantom voices reminded him of that night, long ago, when Ganondorf first attacked. He recalled in vivid detail how Castle Town had burned, and the similar shouts and screams that had provided a mournful backdrop for Zelda's escape from the castle. He remembered too, seeing the empty shell of the town Ganondorf left behind, and the shadows that always seemed present in the expressions of the refugees in Kakariko Village.

 _No,_ he thought to himself soberly, _I_ _am not glad Ganondorf is back. I would not wish that on anyone._

It suddenly occurred to Link that in order for others to fully understand what he had saved them from, they'd have to truly know the pain of those terrible seven years of oppression and horror, and he had no desire for the Hylian populace to be subjected to that. He located the part of himself that craved that recognition, and shut it away someplace deep and dark. He never intended to let it see the light of day again.

The sharp crack of a deku nut echoed throughout the temple, and Link let out a huff of relief at the sight of Zelda at the entrance, bright blue sapphire hung around her neck.

"Zelda…" he breathed out.

"Link. Do you have the other two stones?" she asked, as she hurried towards the altar in front of the Door of Time. He nodded in response, pulling the Kokiri Emerald and the Goron Ruby out of his bag as he too moved towards the Door of Time.

"I heard sounds of battle as I passed through Castle Town. I'm not sure what's going on, but I think Ganondorf may be making his move now. We need to act immediately," said Zelda.

Link took a sharp intake of breath. Castle Town was under attack? Somehow, it felt as if fate was punishing him for his selfish thoughts earlier. He could almost hear a mocking voice taunting him, "So this is what you want? Let's see how you enjoy knowing that _you wanted_ the entire kingdom to suffer."

He couldn't let this happen again. He decided, then and there, that he didn't care if everyone, Zelda included, forgot about him again or not; he just wanted to protect them.

Zelda was pulling the Zora Sapphire off of her neck, and Link fumbled in his bag for the Kokiri Emerald and the Ruby Goron, when a voice rang out in the somber quite of the temple.

"Halt! Stop right there!"

Link and Zelda froze, only steps away from their goal, and Link heard Zelda use some colorful language he'd never expected to hear from her. He turned and saw the source of her ire: the king and roughly thirty members of the royal guard had rushed into the temple, and at least five different archers had their bows trained on them. Or rather, they had their bows trained on Link. Link felt some measure of relief that the king still recognized Zelda in her disguise. Link doubted, angry as he was, that the king would ever purposefully endanger his daughter.

"Father, you don't understand—"

"I've had my men waiting outside of the temple for your return, just in case. I thought we had discussed this. I thought you would wait until we had worked this out. I can't believe you would bring this man, a stranger, into the Temple of Time when you knew I disapproved!"

"He was chosen by the goddesses, you know that, if you would just LISTEN—"

"ENOUGH!"

Both Zelda and the king fell silent, looking at Link in surprise.

"We don't have time for this. Castle Town is under attack. Your Highness, we need to open the Door of Time, and we'll do it with or without your approval."

It was clear that attempting to bring the king to their side was not going to work, and Link had had enough. He no longer felt any hesitation about what he needed to do. He needed to protect the people of Hyrule, and no one was going to stop him.

"Someone attacking Castle Town? I know nothing of this. Young man, if you continue to disobey I will order my men to shoot you where you stand."

"Fine. Do it. If you think I'm afraid of you and your men you are sorely mistaken," Link said through gritted teeth, noticing for the anxious expressions on the soldiers' faces. His mention of Castle Town had clearly spooked them.

Link turned to Zelda, holding out a hand to her.

"Zelda, the sapphire."

At that same instant, the king's face grew red in anger.

"Fire!"

Link pulled Zelda to him in an instant, casting Nayru's Love around them both just in time as the speeding arrows bounced harmlessly off of the shield. Link kept Zelda pressed to him while the spell remained in force, shouting angrily through the barrier.

"Are you crazy? You could have harmed her!"

The king started blustering something unintelligible as the soldiers' mouths hung open with shock at Link's use of magic and open defiance of the king. Link hardly noticed them, though, as Zelda tugged on his tunic and looked at him with wide, frightened eyes.

"He's coming."

At that same moment, another soldier rushed into the temple, stumbling in his haste to reach the king.

"Your Highness! The man—the Gerudo Prince Ganondorf! He has launched an assault on Castle Town with an army of redeads and moblins."

"What?" asked King Daphnes, flabbergasted.

"A scouting expedition caught sight of him in Hyrule Field a couple of hours ago. They started evacuating Castle Town an hour ago, and we tried to inform Your Highness but could not find you in the Castle. The Gerudo Prince's forces have already made it to Castle Town, and the guard is doing what they can to stop him!"

Zelda pulled away from Link, stepping out of his protective spell as if it were as simple as breathing. She had always been more talented at magic than him.

"Father, she said, voice once more calm and steady, "We are not your enemies. Ganondorf has come to steal the Triforce that Link and I hold, but we can stop him if Link has the sword that seals the darkness. And besides, if Link is not the chosen hero of the goddesses, he won't be able to use the sword anyway."

King Daphnes' eyes wandered aimlessly around the solemn temple, looking for all the world like a rat caught in a trap. For the first time, Link felt some pity for the man. He really had no good options left. The king said nothing.

"Please, father. Trust me."

She held up her hand and the Triforce glowed brilliantly in the dim light of the temple. For solidarity's sake, Link did the same, and he could hear audible gasps from the assembled guards.

King Daphnes hung his head, looking thoroughly defeated. He had opened his mouth and was just about to speak when a loud crash shook the entire temple. Another guard ran inside the temple.

"Your Highness, he's here, right outside! It's the Gerudo Prince!"

Zelda tore the Zora Sapphire off of her neck and placed it on the altar, then dashed forward until she was standing on the hexagonal stone slab that served as the portal to the Temple of Light. She raised both of her hands and a white light seemed to emanate from her, rushing out towards her and through the temple walls.

"I've created a barrier around the temple—I should be able to hold him back until Link can get the sword. Link, go!"

Zelda hadn't asked for her father's permission, but the king spoke up anyway.

"Very well. Let us see if the boy can retrieve the Master Sword," he said, and he stayed in place while about half of his men left to defend the temple entrance.

Link nodded curtly and put his own spiritual stones on the alter, pulling out the Ocarina of Time and bringing it to his lips. He played the Song of Time with the solemnity the song demanded, despite his urgency. As the last notes of the song echoed throughout the temple, the Door of Time gave a groan before slowly rolling away and revealing the Master Sword's pedestal.

Utter silence reigned as Link strode confidently towards the pedestal, not a shred of doubt entering his mind as he pulled the ancient sword smoothly from its resting place. Farore, it felt good to be holding the Master Sword in his hand again. He shifted his grip a little, reveling in how familiar the hilt felt under his skin, regardless of how he held it.

Respectfully, he raised the sword high above his head and looked towards the heavens in a sort of salute to his patron goddess—a ritual he had adopted some time during his adventures.

As if receiving a signal from the goddesses themselves, the silence was broken as the soldiers assembled at the end of the Temple let out a small cheer. Link turned back towards the small crowd, feeling the weight of all of their hopes for deliverance on his shoulders.

He jogged back into the temple proper, shield and sword held out at the ready. He met Zelda, who was still focusing all her powers on protecting the temple, and they both faced the king.

"Your Highness," said Link, bowing low, "Princess Zelda and I will stop Ganondorf. I swear it."


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

* * *

 **AUTHOR'S NOTE: Almost there, folks! Please read and PLEASE review. Reviews are like my mana. I'm also already thinking about what to write for my next story. Let me know if you have any suggestions/what kind of stories you'd like to read. Also, I changed the rating from K+ to T based off of some sensuality earlier in the story and some violence in this chapter.**

 **Ai Star: That's a great point that I tried to make clear in the last chapter. Zelda said, "He's here to steal the Triforce that Link and I hold," meaning that Ganondorf wants to kill Link and Zelda and take their Triforces from them. He also wanted to keep Link from retrieving the Master Sword, since they wouldn't be able to stop him without it.**

 **Anony Mouse: Thanks so much! I'm glad you found this story too. Hopefully this chapter will better explain how Ganondorf got into their timeline. The explanation is still a little wishy-washy, but it's not as if Legend of Zelda has ever had a very consistent, rules-based approach to magic :p**

 **Sidus Alatus: Thanks! Also thanks for sticking with me and reviewing regularly. I really appreciate it!**

* * *

 _Continued from previous chapter…_

"Your Highness," said Link, bowing low, "Princess Zelda and I will stop Ganondorf. I swear it."

The king dipped his head in Link's direction, clearly not sure what to say. He didn't seem to have much choice in whether or not Link and Zelda left the temple.

"Link," said Zelda, grimacing in concentration, "Go out to meet Ganondorf. I can make a shield around the two of you so no one else is harmed. Once you've weakened him, I will hold him, and you finish him."

Link nodded. "I remember."

They both walked to the exit of the temple, Zelda taking small, careful steps so as to maintain the barrier as she moved. The king also walked up to the door, his remaining soldiers following after him. Zelda stopped him.

"Father, you should stay in the temple. You are the ruler of Hyrule—what would happen if you were injured?"

"No, Zelda. I have doubted and impeded you at every turn. I must see for myself."

"Very well," she said evenly. "Link, I will remove the barrier once we leave the temple. When that happens, rush to meet Ganondorf and I will put up another barrier around the two of you to contain the battle."

"OK."

"Zelda lowered one of her hands, face screwed up in concentration, and found Link's hand beside her. She squeezed it tightly in her own, and Link felt his chest tighten. He'd been through this battle before, but somehow knowing that Zelda cared for him made the stakes even higher. He wasn't afraid to die, but he really wanted to make it out of this fight alive.

Zelda let go of his hand and motioned forward with her head. She and Link walked slowly out of the temple, followed by King Daphnes and his guard.

The first thing Link noticed was the sound. Somehow the Temple of Time seemed to have blocked out most of the noise of battle, but now that they had exited, he could hear the shouts, the screams, and the clash of metal striking metal as Hyrule's soldiers attempted to keep Ganondorf's army from overrunning Castle Town. Link also noticed the loud booming of magic on magic as Ganondorf, who floated in the air over the steps to the Temple of Time, threw magical balls of energy at Zelda's barrier one after another. Link could practically feel the fear emanating from the royal guard behind him as they caught sight of the desert prince, and he noticed too the piles of soldiers who lay, scattered and limp, around the courtyard at Ganondorf's feet.

Link felt his own resolve strengthen. Those men had been his fellows-in-arms, and they had been courageous enough to throw themselves at the bearer of the Triforce of Power to protect their kingdom. He would honor them with this battle.

Noticing their procession, Ganondorf stopped battering Zelda's shield and let out a low, malicious laugh, looking down on him from his perch in the air.

"So, Hero of Time. You've finally showed up."

Link's grip tightened on his sword.

"Yes. And I have the Master Sword along with the blessing of the goddesses. We will defeat you, just like last time."

"Ah yes, last time. You know, I should really be thanking you two. If the princess here hadn't sent you back in time I'd never have this second chance. You'd think that the Triforce of Wisdom would be enough for her to see that you can't simply undo your mistakes. The consequences will _always_ follow you."

Link wasn't particularly interested in hearing any more from Ganondorf. He wanted to dispense with the chitchat and attack, but he thought Zelda would probably want to know how Ganondorf had entered their time stream. As he suspected, Zelda spoke up.

"How is it that you came to this time, Ganondorf?" she asked from beside Link. Link sighed a little, thinking that no good could come of speaking with the evil king. However, he supposed Zelda had a right to know.

Ganondorf responded.

"After you sent your little green slave back in time, I found I had also been sent back. But since you sealed me away, I could not fully reenter your time stream. I was stuck in limbo, living in an in-between land that was the same time as here, but not the same space. I tried to come back to Hyrule, but all I could manage was a vague shadow of my former self."

Zelda frowned.

"What changed?" she asked, and Link felt concern grow within him that she would look for ways to blame Ganondorf's return on herself. Ganondorf laughed again.

"That's the best part. If your precious hero hadn't been too selfish to keep his mouth shut, I would never have been able to acquire a solid form in Hyrule. Once you regained your memories, I found that my power was greatly enhanced. The more you and he spoke of me, the more solid I became. I discovered other people began to mention me too. I discovered I was supposed to be a Gerudo prince, just as I had been before. Eventually, my existence in this timestream became undeniable, and I could permanently regain my solid form. And so, here I am. Thanks to you two."

Link could see how Ganondorf's words were affecting Zelda. She almost shrunk before his mocking words. He didn't see any reason to allow Ganondorf to continue speaking.

"It doesn't matter how or why you're here, Ganondorf. You have never won, and you won't win this time," Link said.

Link could feel Ganondorf's barbs hitting him in sensitive spots: _You're selfish. It's your fault. If it weren't for your vanity…_ But he didn't have time right now for insecurity. Regardless of his own personal faults, he needed to defeat Ganondorf, and he wouldn't let his own weaknesses get in the way. He and Zelda would have to deal with whatever personal issues Ganondorf's words inspired later.

He looked towards Zelda, and the pain on her face evidence of the blow she had suffered to her confidence. He sent her a small smile, then inclined his head.

"Don't listen to him. He's just scared because he knows we can stop him. It's time to act. I'm ready."

Zelda smiled back at him, her watery eyes hardening with determination. She nodded her head as well. Link motioned for the king and his guard to stand back, then braced himself to sprint towards the evil sorcerer.

"One, two, three, go!" Zelda said, and the barrier fell just as Link sprinted forward, leaping at Ganondorf with sword held high. Ganondorf blocked Link's attack just as Zelda's shield came up again, this time trapping Link and Ganondorf inside of the courtyard.

As Link was pushed backwards by Ganondorf's block, he felt the thrill of battle invigorating his muscles and making him feel alive the way nothing else did. He prepared his sword to hit back any lightning Ganondorf sent at him, but it seemed Ganondorf remembered their first battle and decided to change strategies. The evil king instead raised a hand to the sky, and Link felt dread build within him as he tried to discern what Ganondorf was doing.

"Link, look up!" Link heard Zelda shout, and he looked above him just in time to see the molten rocks raining from the sky and roll out of the way.

Recovering his footing as quickly as possible, Link tried to keep moving to avoid getting caught by another volley of rocks. Ganondorf was able to summon the rocks at a frightening pace, and each time Link tried to prepare a ranged attack he found himself needing to jump out of the way of another round of rocks.

"This isn't working," he thought to himself. "I need to think of another way to deal with this attack. It's not like I can just hold my shield over my head all the time like I'm on Death Mountain."

Just then, he had an idea. Link dashed forward until he was directly underneath Ganondorf, using the sorcerer himself as a shield against celestial attacks. Ganondorf let out a huff of anger as Link struggled to stay beneath him and draw an arrow at the same time. Ganondorf eventually shook Link off, leaving him exposed to Ganondorf's magical attacks, and raised his hand again to summon the molten rocks. He took too long, however, and Link's maneuvering had bought him enough time to ready his bow and shoot Ganondorf right in the chest with a light arrow. The arrow sunk deep into the Gerudo's chest and he sunk to the ground with an ungodly shriek.

Link rushed forward to attack, and he could see Zelda's barrier fall in his peripheral vision. Suddenly, all her power was focused on Ganondorf, the distinctive golden glow of her energy pushing down the desert prince, holding him in place.

"Now, Link!"

As he finally reached the man, Link thrust the sword that seals evil mercilessly right into Ganondorf's chest, where his heart would be if he indeed had one at all.

Ganondorf arched his back violently and Link barely managed to pull the Master Sword back in time to prevent it from being jerked from his hands by the motion. Ganondorf screamed again, ghastly face looking up at the sky with wide eyes, then froze as still as a statue, and the courtyard was completely silent.

Link backed up slowly, wary of Ganondorf's tendency to appear dead only to come back stronger and more terrifying than before. He looked back towards Zelda, and saw that she had dropped the shield on Ganondorf and was leaned over, hands resting on her knees, looking completely exhausted. He guessed she probably would have liked to hold Ganondorf down longer for safety's sake, but her energy was clearly spent from maintaining such a strong barrier for so long. Link felt a rush of pride in her as he turned back towards Ganondorf, whose whole form was turning a sickly grey color as they looked on.

One soldier in Daphnes' guard took a couple of steps towards Ganondorf, features triumphant. Then, several things happened at once.

The soldier shouted, "We did it! He's dea—!"

Link shouted, "Stay back!"

And Ganondorf's grey form burst into a smoky pillar of fire, knocking both Link and the soldier from their feet.

When Link managed to sit up again, he saw a depressingly familiar, giant, pig-like incarnation of Ganon stomping around the courtyard, large knives in hand. He also noticed the broken body of the unfortunate soldier at Ganon's feet, and felt a sharp pain in his leg. He tried desperately to stand, but the red seeping through his leggings suggested that some debris had been blown into his leg, and it was making it difficult to move.

Link could hear the sounds of fear and alarm coming from the onlookers at the temple steps, but he focused on scrambling backwards as Ganon tromped menacingly towards him. His hands searched desperately in the bag strapped to his back. Ganon got closer and closer, but still Link didn't find what he was looking for. This disgusting form of Ganondorf was thankfully significantly slower than his Gerudo form, but injured as he was, Link still couldn't drag himself away fast enough. Link heard a pair of different, smaller feet running towards him, and fear spiked within him.

"No Zelda, stay back! You need to keep him from hurting anyone else!"

Link then saw Zelda run right past him and off to Ganon's right, where the Master Sword lay stuck in the ground. Link hadn't even realized he didn't have it any more.

"Don't be stupid. If you die, do you think any of us will survive?" Zelda shouted back at him,

Ganon had just turned his lumbering form towards Zelda, who looked even more small and delicate than usual next to his monstrous form. He let out a roar of rage and started to charge her, but he was too late. Zelda lifted the sword and with a great heave hurled it towards Link's prone form. She then shielded herself just as Ganon smashed one of his giant knives uselessly against the magical barrier. He shrieked again, then slashed sideways at the barrier, knocking Zelda, still encased in the shield, over to the side of the courtyard.

The beast then turned his attention back to Link, who was unfortunately still a few excruciating feet from the Master Sword. Ganon was now frighteningly close, and for one heart-stopping moment, Link thought that he was probably about to face his end. When Ganon was mere feet from Link's crippled form, Link's fumbling fingers finally found what he had been searching for in his bag. He pulled out the glass bottle and immediately smashed it on the cobblestone ground, releasing the fairy inside.

As the fairy swirled around him, Link felt the pain in his leg subside and a new vigor fill his veins. He leapt to his feet and dashed for the Master Sword just as Ganon came within striking distance of him, leaping for the sword and picking it up as he rolled away from a vicious slice of one of Ganon's giant knives.

He wanted to run further out of range of the beast, then shoot him from afar, but unfortunately the courtyard was too small, and Link wanted to keep the battle contained to the courtyard to avoid collateral damage.

With few other options, he turned to face Ganon, sword and shield at the ready. Ganon stretched his arms back, ready to swipe at Link with his massive knives, but Link rolled towards him, ducking under the lethal slash. As he came up out of his roll, he slashed at Ganon's right arm, and the beast dropped one of his blades. Unfortunately, Ganon's other arm was still perfectly usable and he sliced back at Link in hasty retribution. Link raised his shield in time to avoid evisceration, but the sheer weight of the blow tossed him across the courtyard like a rag doll.

Link could hear Ganon's heavy footsteps drawing nearer as he attempted to lift himself off the ground. Across the courtyard from himself, he saw Zelda lying in a similar position, unprotected by Nayru's Love. She must have been knocked out inside of her shield, and was unable to maintain the shield while unconscious.

The sight of her injured, helpless form filled Link with anger. How _dare_ Ganon do this? How _dare_ he destroy good, peaceful lives all for the sake of meaningless power? Link shut his eyes and offered up a brief but fervent prayer to Farore, then opened his eyes and forced his tired muscles to lift himself from the ground.

Ganon was stumbling around the courtyard, the pain from his lacerated arm incapacitating him temporarily. Link took the opportunity to draw another light arrow and send it flying right at Ganon's head. The arrow glanced off of his thick skin, but the impact still seemed to disturb the creature. Seeing Ganon swipe at his face, as if he could somehow rub away the light in his eyes, Link got an idea. He pulled out another light arrow and aimed it at Ganon, but Ganon had already recovered from the last arrow and threw his head towards Link, breathing out a pillar of white hot fire that Link only mostly managed to dodge.

Link looked down at his right arm, which had been caught in the flames, and winced. He could already see the skin blistering from the searing heat. With his arm injured, he probably wouldn't be able to aim well enough to blind Ganon again. Instead, Link pulled out another light arrow and held the arrow up against his shield, grimacing against the pain of using his burned arm. The fierce light of the arrow reflected off of his shield, and he shone it right into Ganon's eyes. Ganon once again rubbed at his beady eyeballs, and Link seized his chance. He dropped the light arrow and threw his shield on the ground in front of him, jumping on top of it and, half falling, half sliding, rode its momentum towards Ganon and between the beast's legs. As he reached Ganon's soft underbelly, he thanked the goddesses that his left arm was still good and thrust upwards into Ganon's stomach with the Master Sword.

Ganon bellowed in pain and frustration. Link thought Ganon probably knew he had lost. He scrambled quickly out from underneath the creature, concerned that he might get crushed by its weight, and as he managed to get to his feet, he saw that Zelda, too, was now standing. She looked unsteady on her feet, and more than a little worse for wear, but she was alive. Link felt relief flood him, but turned back towards Ganon, wary that the creature may not be dead yet.

"Link, I think I can hold him one more time. Then, you finish him off," Zelda yelled, struggling to be hard over Ganon's wailing.

Link nodded, and ran back towards Ganon's front while Zelda once more held him down with her divine power. Link hesitated a moment as he looked at the now pathetic creature in front of him. Like this, utterly defeated and debased, he almost felt bad for Ganon. Almost. He raised the Master Sword, and cut cleanly through the beast's throat.

* * *

As soon as Link's sword found Ganon's throat, Zelda felt Ganon's oppressive, dark presence disappear from their world. She immediately dropped her repressing spell and fell to her knees in exhaustion, feeling completely drained. She hovered her hands over her knees, not wanting them to touch anything. When she'd held the Master Sword, the sword had burned her hands mercilessly, not recognizing her as its master. As excruciating as it had been, she had managed to hold on long enough to throw the sword to Link, and for that she was grateful. Still, she would be feeling the effects of her sacrifice for a while to come. Zelda also noticed her vision fuzzing around the edges, probably the result of getting knocked around inside of her shield earlier.

Breathing hard and feeling somewhat overwhelmed, she still gave herself a moment to feel satisfaction at their victory. She had been so scared that she would not be able to contribute as her counterpart from the other timestream had. Zelda had led an unfairly charmed life. She had had things easy, and she had been terrified that that would reduce her usefulness and ultimately lead to their downfall. But she had managed it. She smiled a little through her exhaustion. She had been useful.

There was a lot more to consider. How much had Castle Town been damaged by Ganondorf's assault? What would this mean for her and Link? What would this mean for her relationship with her father? These questions floated around in her head, but she found that she lacked the energy to think clearly about them.

She wanted to go to Link, to make sure he was all right, and to celebrate their victory together, but try as she might she couldn't get herself to stand up. Zelda let out a sigh, and allowed herself to accept that she was about to pass out.

"It's OK, she told herself has her vision faded. "We made it. Everyone is safe. The world will still be here when I wake up." Then she let herself rest.

 **ADDITIONAL NOTE: Whew! We've almost made it! Only one more chapter to go! Thanks for sticking with me :D**


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

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 **AUTHOR'S NOTE: OK, it's finally here! Thanks so much for reading my story, and I hope you enjoyed it. I am sorry it took me so long to write the last chapter… I think I have a hard time with endings. I'm not sure I'm entirely satisfied with it, so I might re-edit it later (let me know if you have suggestions!), but for now I just really want to finish this story before it's no longer fresh in my mind. I also just want these two to be happy, gosh darn it! As you might expect, this chapter is fairly fluffy. But hey, I think Link deserves some fluff!**

* * *

Zelda woke, trying to shake the haziness of the newly-conscious off and orient herself. The last she remembered, she'd been lying on the harsh, unforgiving stones of the courtyard in front of the Temple of Time, but now she rested on a soft, pliable surface. She opened her eyes and looked around blearily. She was in her room, lying on her large four-poster bed. Her father was asleep in a generous stuffed chair next to her bed, his chest resting comfortably on his chest. Zelda sighed in relief, revelling in the knowledge that she could continue lying here, and nothing catastrophic would happen. She allowed her body to sink into the luxurious cushions for a moment before returning to more urgent concerns. Was Ganondorf gone for good? Where was Link?

"Father…" Zelda managed to croak out, her voice not fully cooperating with her intentions. King Daphnes jerked awake.

"Zelda! Dearest! Are you ok? How do you feel?"

"I… I'll be all right. Where is Link? How is Castle Town? Is Ganondorf gone?"

King Daphnes sat up in his chair and leaned towards his daughter.

"Ganondorf appears to be dead, and Rauru tells me his piece of the Triforce has returned to the Temple of Time. It seems he will not return. As for Link, he's right outside. We tried to get him to the infirmary to take care of his injuries, but he refused to leave your side."

Zelda frowned, suspecting that King Daphnes had perhaps not made much of an effort to get Link to the infirmary. Their last encounter had been quite a disaster, after all. Sensing her mood, her father patted her arm placatingly.

"I really did try my best, Zelda, but he was remarkably insistent. Regarding Castle Town, the guard did well and all of the townspeople were evacuated before Ganondorf's forces attacked, and once Ganondorf was defeated all of his moblins ran away. We did, unfortunately, suffer casualties among our soldiers, but their brave sacrifice prevented suffering among the people."

Zelda let out a sigh of relief, then smiled at her father.

"Thank you," she said, but her father responded with a look of guilt. He leaned forward, taking one of her hands in his.

"I am so sorry I did not trust you. You truly were chosen by the goddesses. I do not even want to consider how many lives may have been lost had you not intervened."

"All is forgiven, Father. I understand how difficult it must have been to believe my story. In truth, had our situations been reversed I do not know if I would have believed you."

Zelda felt a peace fill her as she said the words and realized that they were true. She had been concerned that, after everything that had happened, her relationship with her father might be permanently damaged. It did seem that their relationship might be forever altered, but perhaps now it would be a change for the better.

"My child, what I did was not acceptable. I… I planned to entrust you with the future of our kingdom, and yet I would not believe you when it counted."

King Daphnes shook his head.

"No longer. You have proven your wisdom, and in the not-so-distant future you will be queen. I will no longer stand in your way when you wish to make important decisions. You will be more involved in the governing of the kingdom, and your counsel will be my most valued."

Zelda gave her father another weak smile, squeezing his hand in hers.

"Thank you, father." There was more to say, but this was a good start. They were building a new foundation for their relationship, and Zelda felt that they should take their time to ensure that the foundation was true. For some time they simply sat there together, silently enjoying each others' company in a way they hadn't in a long time.

"Father… I think I should speak with Link. I don't think he'll go to the infirmary before he sees me."

A small part of her worried that her father would object, but he simply nodded in understanding.

"I will get him."

Her father rose from his chair with a groan and left the room. Zelda closed her eyes, still feeling drained. She opened them again when she heard the door open, and found Link standing a respectful distance from her bed in the center of her plush red carpet. Zelda winced at the angry red blisters on his arm, his clear devotion to her moving her more than she knew how to express.

"You really should get your arm looked at Link."

Link looked down, shrugging his shoulders.

"I needed to make sure you were OK first. And… I didn't really know where we stood. I was worried if I left I wouldn't get to see you again."

She opened her mouth to respond, to reassure him that… well she wasn't quite sure what. To tell him that everything would be fine. She hadn't decided exactly what she was going to say before he continued talking.

"Your Highness, thank you so much. I could not have been able to stop him without you. I owe you my life, as do all of the people of Hyrule. You will be a wise and fair ruler one day, and I am honored to have served you."

He knelt down on one knee, head bowed before her. Zelda, taken aback, struggled to sit up in her bed. "Your Highness"? "I am honored to have served you"? Where was this stiff, distant treatment coming from?

"Link, what are you…? I helped you, but you were the one who defeated Ganondorf in the end. We did it together, as a team…" Zelda struggled to express precisely what it was about his mode of declaration that was bothering her. "Why all of this formality?"

Link remained silent for a long while, and Zelda wished he would raise his head so she could see his expression. He finally spoke, although his face was still hidden by his bangs.

"People know now…," he said in his calm, matter-of-fact way. "Even though we defeated Ganondorf, you're still the princess. I thought… it would be better this way."

Zelda huffed indignantly. Didn't Link have the Triforce of Courage? Where was all of this hesitance coming from? And in the hour of their triumph, no less! Well if he was going to treat her like as some untouchable superior, she might as well take advantage of that.

"Link, come here. As your princess, I order you to rise and sit beside me."

She patted the spot on her bed next to where she sat, now propped up against the headboard. Link stood, face flushed, and obediently took his seat next to her.

"So. You refuse to have your injuries treated because you're worried you'll never see me again, and then once you finally see me you behave distant and cold. Would not the result be the same as never seeing me again?"

Link simply lowered his head once more, avoiding Zelda's gaze. As he was seated on the edge of the bed, his back was more or less to her, and he had had to twist awkwardly to see her. Upon hearing Zelda's accusation, he let his body turn back away from her, embarrassed by the contradictory behavior she had pointed out.

Zelda frowned. She didn't want him to feel bad, she just wanted him to be comfortable with her. She wanted them to be able to celebrate their victory together. And most importantly, she wanted him to know how important he was to her. As she looked at his back, the green fabric dirty and torn from battle, she felt an overwhelming rush of affection for him. This man who had selflessly born the burden of a painful past in silence for so many years, this man who had thought nothing of his own safety and comfort in order to protect her kingdom, this man who had shown her unwavering loyalty throughout multiple lifetimes, this man was finally here, with her, and she found herself needing to show him how she felt about him in whatever way she could.

Careful to avoid his injured arm, Zelda snaked an arm around his torso and leaned her head against his back, giving his battered body a ginger squeeze of affection.

"I love you."

She felt rather than heard Link let out a small exhalation of air, and he twisted back around so he was facing her, wrapping his arms around Zelda and hugging her tightly. It hurt a little, her own body still sore from her injuries, but she didn't mind. Zelda settled her head under Link's chin and breathed him in, hoping for some sort of reciprocal response but not needing it.

"Are you sure?"

Zelda half-laughed, half-sighed.

"Yes, I am sure. We'll have plenty of time for me to convince you later, but for now just take me at my word."

She pulled back a little so she could see his face and smiled up at him. He looked back at her, eyes wide with wonder. The he pulled her close to him again, his mouth just by her ear. In a small voice, meant only for her to hear, he spoke.

"I love you too."

In that moment, Zelda felt perfectly content. His arms around her felt comforting, strong, accepting, and right. Her kingdom was safe, her father respected and trusted her, and the man she loved loved her too. She felt that, because this moment had come to pass, she had no right to ask the goddesses for anything ever again. She had already been blessed enough for a lifetime.

However, her very affection for Link informed her that this moment could not last forever. She could feel how he hugged her more tightly with his left arm than with his right, and she could smell the sweat and dried blood on his clothing. He needed to be treated, and he needed to rest.

"Link," she said, talking into his collar, "you really should go to the infirmary."

Link sighed heavily in response and loosened his grip on her.

"I know. I don't… I am feeling pretty weak. But I just… I'm worried if I leave this all will end. Like it might.. Disappear like a dream," he said.

Zelda backed away again and looked up at Link with determined eyes.

"That's not going to happen. I will not allow it. I will be queen one day, and as queen I have the right to make decisions for myself. And I will choose you. Always, no matter where or when, I will choose you."

Link smiled at her-a rich, full smile as warm as the sun over Hyrule Field. He leaned forward and kissed her again, then rose shakily to his feet.

"I'll see you soon," he said, then left.

And that was what was so wonderful about Link. Zelda knew that no matter what, he would live by his word. He would see her again soon, and that was all she wanted.

* * *

 _One Year Later_

Link dubiously looked into the mirror in his room and nervously adjusted the ornate belt at his waist. It felt strange to be wearing such fine clothing, but he had grown more accustomed to it in the past months. He wore a cream-colored tunic with gold accents, and a rich crimson cloak was thrown over his shoulders. He felt almost naked without his trademark cap-or at least a helmet-and his finely polished leather boots, while fashionable, were stiff and uncomfortable on his feet. Eventually, Link shrugged and turned from the mirror. Regardless of how he felt, this was probably how everyone expected him to look today.

The door slammed open and Link's moment of reflection was interrupted by a frantic Taio.

"Link! What are you still doing here? You're going to be late!"

Link, never one for hysterics, simply nodded and strode calmly from the room, exiting the barracks that he'd called home for over a year perhaps for the last time.

Taio started towards the castle's main entrance, but Link signalled for him to go ahead without him.

"I'm going a different way," he said by way of explanation, but Taio's incredulous look demanded details.

"I promise I'll make it in time, I just need a moment to myself," Link said, hoping it would be enough to convince his over-enthusiastic friend.

"All right, but just know it will be my head if everything starts and you're not there yet."

"I know, I'll be there," Link said as he waved goodbye to his friend and headed off in the opposite direction.

Wanting to avoid all of the hustle and bustle surrounding today's festivities, Link left the castle by a side gate, crossing a small bridge over the moat and entering the fields that separated Castle Town and Hyrule Castle.

He walked with a solemn gait. Today was meant to be a joyous day, but Link needed to mourn as well. Eventually, he reached the small statue of Hylia that had been placed in a relatively peaceful and secluded area outside of the wall that surrounded the town. He made sure to take the time to read the plaque under the statue, even though he already knew what it said.

 _In honor of the brave soldiers who lost their lives in defense of Hyrule. Their sacrifice to stop the evil king Ganondorf will never be forgotten._

Link stood there, as he often did, and meditated. First and foremost, he prayed to the goddesses for these men's souls. He also played for their families, and he thought about the role he had played in their deaths.

If he had never met up with Zelda again, would they still be alive? Would Ganondorf have found a way back into their timestream eventually, regardless of what he did? Were these men's deaths on his head? Was this some sort of terrible price he had forced them to pay so he could be a hero? So he could be with Zelda?

These questions had eaten away at Link ever since Ganondorf's defeat a year earlier. He'd let the doubts fester away for months before finally breaking down one day and confessing his feelings of guilt and regret to Zelda. She had revealed that she had harbored similar feelings, and they'd discussed the issue at length. Zelda had even gone to the Great Fairy to ask her, but the Great Fairy had not provided them with conclusive answers.

"I can see vague shapes, directions, and major tributaries of the stream of time. But the kind of details you seek are unknowable, even to me."

The Great Fairy must have felt moved by the look of despair on Zelda's face, because after a moment of hesitation, she added one final piece of advice.

"Princess Zelda, you have been in the unique situation of having altered the stream of time, having changed the past. Because of that, you may be tempted to consider what could have been, what kinds of decisions you would change if you could. But I advise you not to indulge in that kind of speculation. Perhaps your decisions led to the deaths of those men, but perhaps those same decisions prevented the deaths of others. Pay whatever penance you feel you must, but focus on this time stream, and try to move on."

Link had thought over those words many times, and they had provided him with some comfort. Still, he couldn't help but feel that he had benefitted from the suffering of others. Especially today, when he was about to get everything he'd ever desired, he wanted to honor these men.

As he stood in front of the statue, he felt a peace come over him. He closed his eyes, and the wind whirled around him almost like a caress. As the wind whirled, words came to Link's mind.

 _Rest easy, Hero. These brave men are now in my care._

Link opened his eyes and and found himself staring into the eyes of the statue of the goddess Hylia. He smiled at her and gave her a small bow, then he turned to leave. He had more to do today.

About an hour later, Link waited at the altar of the Temple of Time, fighting the urge to tap his feet nervously against the cold marble floor. King Daphnes stood somewhere behind him, and the king's loyal subjects lined the benches that had been brought in to fill the temple in front of him. Still, Link didn't notice any of them. His eyes were fixed on the entrance to the Temple, through which Zelda eventually walked.

Zelda had always been a beautiful woman, but there was something different about her today. Her ornate gown of white, pink and gold was part of the reason, but Link thought that finally seeing the woman who would be his wife was what really gave her that ethereal glow.

Zelda walked with her characteristic grace down the center of the temple towards the altar, and she was all Link could see. When she finally joined him at the altar, she rested her hand in the open palm he offered her, and he felt that they would never be separated again.

Rauru officiated the ceremony, and Link was glad. Rauru may not remember it, but he and Link had been close friends. Of course, Link still didn't pay too much attention to Rauru's sermon. The sage spoke of the balance of the Triforce, of finding balance in marriage, and of relying on each other. They were good words, and someone was surely writing them down. Link was depending on that, since he was having difficulty focusing on anything aside from the perfect woman who stood beside him.

All of a sudden, it was time for Link to pledge himself to Zelda, in light and dark, in power, wisdom, and courage, and for all time.

"I do," Link found himself saying, meaning every word with all his heart.

"I do," Link heard Zelda say a short time later, and joy filled his soul.

They kissed, and the crowd of onlookers let out a cheer. Link pulled Zelda close to him in the midst of the merriment and spoke into her ear.

"Thank you for choosing me."

She had chosen him in so many ways. She had chosen to trust him with the fate of Hyrule when he was only ten years old. She had chosen to guide him and fight alongside him in his teens. She had chosen to remember him despite the pain and confusion it caused her, and she had eventually chosen to love him. He was grateful for all of it.

Zelda smiled back at him, a broad, innocent smile that she saved just for him.

"I'll always choose you. It does not matter in which branch of the stream of time we are, it will always be you."

At that moment, Link felt the weight of those other branches of the stream of time, of those other versions of himself that must surely exist. He hoped that they, too, could find happiness as he had, and he wished them well on their journeys.

After a long moment of staring stupidly into each others' love-struck eyes, Zelda's grin turned mischievous, and she grasped Link's head firmly with both hands and pulled him towards her for a kiss that was certainly more passionate than was proper in the temple. The cheers of the crowd turned to whoops of appreciation and Link, despite generally being very easily embarrassed, enjoyed every minute of it.

 _The End_


End file.
